


Happiness Begins

by whatareyousearchingfordean



Category: Jensen Ackles - Fandom, RPF - Fandom, Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Angst, F/M, Language, Marijuana Use, Oral Sex, Protected Sex, Secret Relationship, Smut, Unprotected Sex, alcohol use, physical violence, protected intercourse, unprotected intercourse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-01-23 00:15:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 89,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21310966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatareyousearchingfordean/pseuds/whatareyousearchingfordean
Summary: Jared’s younger sister agreed to help out for a few months when one of Supernatural’s makeup artists takes her maternity leave. Trying to juggle her new job and her burgeoning brand, she turns to Jensen for comfort. Can their relationships survive Jared finding out that his best friend slept with his baby sister?
Relationships: Jared Padalecki/Sister Reader, Jensen Ackles/Plus Size Reader, Jensen Ackles/Reader, Jensen Ackles/You
Comments: 234
Kudos: 188





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well here it is guys! The first installation of my new series. I am warning now that I cannot guarantee a regular posting schedule. I have only written a few parts so far and while my muse is currently speaking to me, well, you never know. That being said, I hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think. Feedback is like crack to writers.
> 
> Chapter Summary:After accepting to help out on set of Supernatural as a makeup artist, Jared’s little sister leaves her home and her new booming brand in Austin to head for Vancouver. Settling into her now job, proves to be more than she bargained for.

Traveling was never her favorite thing to do. It wasn’t that she was scared of flying, it was more about the crowds in the airports. Big crowds never failed to make her nervous, even from a young age. The current political climate was no help either. The anxiety whispering in her ear had become certain that the carousel at luggage claim was refusing to move just to spite her. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one either. The crowd from her flight let out a collective sigh when the carousel eventually began to move. 

She tapped her foot against the tile as she watched for her suitcase. When it finally fell through the opening, she pushed through the crowd and quickly grabbed it from the conveyor. With her luggage trailing behind her, she sprinted towards the pickup, keeping an eye out for the ride that the producers had sent for her. Her eyes landed on him easily, the bigger man sticking out in the crowd. 

“Clif!” She squealed as she rushed towards him. He embraced her in a crushing grip, her feet lifting just barely off the ground. “Get me the hell outta here.” She pushed passed him as he released her and moved towards the large SUV parked behind him. 

“I see you haven’t gotten over your aversion to airports, eh?” He chuckled. She visibly shivered as Clif took her suitcase from her and loaded it into the trunk. 

“I’d rather be at cemetery on Halloween, at night… summoning a demon.” She informed him as she climbed into the passenger seat. The passenger seat was her preferred spot when it was just her and Clif. Sitting in the backseat was awkward for conversation and she never felt like she warranted it. 

“At least you’d know how to take care of anything that comes after ya.” He nodded as he took his seat behind the wheel. She laughed at his reference. Clif was just about the easiest person to get along with. He was the definition of giant teddy bear. 

“Perks of being related to a Winchester I guess.” She played along. 

“Probably the only perk.”

The laugh erupted from her. “You are absolutely right.” 

Clif spent the rest of the short drive catching the two of them up. He pulled up to the tall building in record time and hopped out to unload her luggage. 

“I’m late going to pick up the boys so I can’t take you up.” Clif apologized as he handed over her suitcase. 

“Really it’s fine. I’m a grown ass adult.” She promised with a smile. 

“Alright, I’ll see ya in the mornin’.” She waved goodbye before heading into the building. 

“Miss Padalecki.” The doorman nodded to her as he held open the door. Leave it to her brother to find the fanciest place in Vancouver to live. While she had visited him enough to know the doorman’s name, having a doorman at all was still odd. Now, she would be living here, so she guessed, he was her doorman too. It was opulence she was not used to. 

The elevator took her up to his floor and she followed the familiar path to his apartment. Genevieve had a copy of her key made so she wouldn’t have to wait for Jared to do it. He could be a little spacey sometimes, not that he wasn’t a busy man. She knew that. This was just easier. 

Another thing she would have to get used to is being here without the whole Padalecki clan. She had never been here when it wasn’t bursting at the seams with her family. Sure, she was used to quiet, in general, being as she lived alone in Austin. It was just that every time she ever visited Jared’s place in Vancouver, it was for some sort of holiday. That meant that the whole clan was there, including her parents and her other brother’s family. The ceilings were high, and the placed tended to echo. The apartment all together was a decent size as well, windows covering the north wall from floor to ceiling. The open floor plan allowed the living room to run straight into the kitchen and dining room. There were three bedrooms and two bathrooms and even though Gen and the kids were here often, it was mostly just Jared. It was a decent sized space for just one man. 

The silence was welcomed after a long day working and then traveling, but it was actually being forced into an airport, that called for a stiff drink. Jared could always be counted on to have a good bar at his place and she decided to find some alcohol to unpack with. She hit the mother lode with a barrel aged whiskey hidden in his pantry and she poured herself a couple fingers before heading down the hall to the spare room. 

**You had someone clean this place for you didn’t you?**

She shot a text to her brother to let him know she had made it in one piece like she promised him she would. 

**Absolutely.**

His answer came back a few minutes later. She took a drink and moved around the room, putting away her things. 

**Do grown men ever learn how to clean up after themselves?**

**No, it’s not coded in our DNA. **

**And people wonder why I’m still single. **

**I don’t think that’s the only reason. **

She rolled her eyes. Typical brother behavior but she couldn’t ignore the pang in her chest. Even after all these years, those old insecurities still manage to creep their way back up to the surface. 

**Haha shut it. **

**You started it smalls ;)**

**Don’t call me that. **

For a woman, she was taller than average. It wasn’t her fault her older brother was even taller. Though, she’d be lying if she said the nickname didn’t make her feel a little more normal. Being taller than a man tended to be intimidating to an inordinate amount of them. Just one of the many things she had spent quite some time learning to overcome. 

Once her things were away she refilled her glass then made her way back to the living room and began flipping through the channels. She landed on some show on the Food Network and went on with checking her emails. 

Work didn’t stop for her, with her business booming, she was just trying to keep up. Honestly, she hadn’t expected it to explode like it did. Every step of the way just snowballed into the next. First, it was her YouTube channel doing makeup tutorials that gained enough subscribers for her to make money. Then when she decided to try her own hand at a makeup line, it exploded right in front of her eyes. Once her products were released, she sold out in less than twenty four hours. People were over the moon about her inclusive line, Et Cetera. She wanted women of every size and color to feel included and be empowered, it was everything her company was built on. She couldn’t have been more excited about it either. 

She responded to what she needed to and settled into the plush couch. With the alcohol in her system and the dark room, her eyelids grew heavy. Before she knew what happened, she was being awoken by Jared tucking her into the blanket that he had draped over her. 

“Hey,” he noticed her eyelids fluttering. “Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.” 

“Sure you didn’t.” She smiled, her voice still groggy with sleep. 

“I’m headed to bed. We have an early call.” He mentioned. She nodded and rose from the couch, following Jared down the hall. 

“Goodnight smalls.” Jared smirked as he entered his room. 

“Goodnight moose.” 

****

It was her first day on the set, which meant she had to fetch her pass and get a tour. Unfortunately, that also meant that she had to arrive earlier than her brother. Once security issued her a badge and gave her a quick tour, she was off to the makeup trailer. 

“Ah, it’s the youngest Padalecki. Nice to meet you, I’m Trish.” The head makeup artist introduced herself as she entered the trailer. 

“Technically, the youngest Padalecki now is Odette.” She laughed before continuing. “I’m Y/n but I’m sure you knew that.” She offered her hand for Trish to shake. 

“Yeah, I don’t think there are a lot of people out there who don’t know who you are. You’ve created quite the little empire.” She held a hand on her hip, a huge smile on her face. 

“Thanks. It’s all very surreal.” Trish nodded at her admission. 

“Well, I don’t think I have to tell you what to do. Second chair there is yours, you’ll be taking care of Jensen, while I have the unfortunate task of dealing with your brother.” Trish pointed to her station and she set down her coffee. 

“He does sweat an abnormal amount.” She agreed, both of the women laughing. Trish set to explaining the little things about working on their set. Y/n hadn’t done tv makeup in a while, and the refresher was nice. 

“Wow these guys are spoiled.” She noted as she searched through their bags. She rifled through the all the makeup labelled ‘Jensen’, the handheld fan and multiple types of gum. 

“You’re one to talk.” The ladies turned as Jared climbed into the trailer. He had a huge grin on his face. 

“Funny, you’re really hilarious you know that?” She mocked, sticking out her tongue at her brother. 

“People tell me that.” Jared leaned down and kissed her cheek. He sat his long frame down in Trish’s chair and folded his hands in his lap, a huge smirk plastered across his face. 

Before she could retort, the door to the trailer opened again, this time, it was Jensen who climbed the few stairs inside. He looked as though he had just rolled out of bed. His t-shirt was slightly disheveled, he had his baseball cap on backwards and he was carrying a large coffee. 

Truth be told, Y/n always had a thing for Jensen. She’d really be blind not to. He was a beautiful man on the outside, sure, but it was the man inside that had her and every other woman swooning. The two of them had only ever met a handful of times, and only ever in passing, but he was one of her brother’s best friends. Jared talked about him all the time, and being a bigger fan of the show than she will ever admit to her brother, she felt like she knew him. The two of them led different lives though, and the ten year age gap meant he probably only saw her as a little sister. That’s why she had resigned herself to being a fangirl in silence. 

“Mornin’.” He ruffled Jared’s hair as he passed him. 

“Hey Jay, you remember I told you Y/n was going to be taking over for Audrey.” Jared motioned towards her and Jensen’s gaze followed. His eyes raked up her body before a genuine smile landed on his face. 

“Yeah, good to see you again Y/n.” He hugged her briefly. “Sorry you have to fix my face up everyday.” 

She genuinely laughed before taking his chin in her fingers and examining him. “I guess I’ll just have to get used to the nightmares.” 

“Ah, I see the Padalecki humor runs deep.” Jensen swatted her hand away from his face. Neither of them noticed Jared watching their interaction, his eyes narrowed. This was probably the most they have talked to each other in a single setting and he recognized that crinkle in the corner of his sister’s eye. As much as she thought she was good at hiding it, Jared knew better. 

“Sit pretty boy. You have a fight scene today which means I get to cover you in blood.” She pushed down on his shoulder and he plopped down into the chair. 

“Just don’t hit me too hard.” 

****

Being born and raised in Texas meant that eighty degrees was still jeans weather. She had tried to prepare herself for the bitterness that is late autumn in Canada, but she was visibly shaking in her seat. The thick underwear and heavy duty coat that didn’t flatter any body’s figure was doing little to help her right now. 

“I told you to buy some long johns.” Jared was flipping through his script while they reset the scene. 

“I did! They aren’t h-helping.” She forced through her chattering teeth. 

“Come here. Unzip your coat.” Jared opened up his arms to his sister who cocked her head at his strange request. “Don’t look at me like that. It’ll help.” 

She relented, allowing her brother to slip his arms inside her coat, his body heat instantly seeping into her bones. “Ahhh.” She closed her eyes and let her body try and relax. 

“Aren’t you two the cutest?” Jensen’s voice had her eyes snapping open. She shot away from Jared, a blush creeping up on her face as she zipped her coat back up. 

“Shut up Ackles and get over here.” She grabbed his bag to touch up his face. He followed her and she pushed his shoulder down so he would sit in his chair. 

“Wow, you always this bossy?” His lips were slightly parted as he gazed up at her, his tongue settling behind his front teeth. 

“Yes, so you might as well get used to it.” She took out some cover up and dipped her pinky into it. Jensen stared up at her, his tongue now following the length of his lips. She didn’t notice his gaze, as she was to busy covering up the small bruise on his nose. 

“You kinda have to be when you are the boss.” She spoke again after a moment. Her voice was softer this time. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to clarify, never before had she had an issue putting a man in his place for calling a woman bossy. Really, she knew that he didn’t mean it in that way. 

“That’s right, the littlest Padalecki has her own business now.” He mused. 

She dropped her hand, letting it smack against her thigh. “What is with all you people? I’m thirty one years old!” 

“Sorry kid, it’s a big brother’s job to tease his little sister.” His eyes were twinkling as he gave her Dean’s signature smirk. Her stomach dropped after hearing him refer to her as a little sister. Not that she didn’t already assume he would feel that way. The inkling of hope left in her was dashed, they never had a chance. How could she have fooled herself into thinking that there was? Jensen literally looked like a Greek god and she was, well her. Sure, she had spent a lot of time building up her self-confidence and helping other women do the same, but nobody can escape every single negative thought. That’s the thing with childhood traumas, they never fully go away, just waiting in the shadows until that small moment when your guard is down and then they come swooping back in. Right now, they were telling her Jensen deserved more than what she could ever give him. 

“Hey! Quit making googly eyes at my sister and get over here. They’re ready to go.” Jared reappeared around the corner, his eyes narrowed at Jensen. Jensen cleared his throat before running off without another word, leaving her to try and understand how she was going to survive these next few months. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader receives some less than stellar news from her assistant about her company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the positive feedback on the first part. It made me smile like an idiot. I wasn’t kidding when I said feedback is like crack to writers. So, here is part two! I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to let me know what you think!

“You gonna answer that?” Jensen’s eyes flickered from her to her phone vibrating away on the counter. She shook her head. 

“It’s probably just emails and updates. They can wait.” She continued dabbing the purple on his left cheek bone, setting the base for a bruise. 

It had been two weeks since she had uprooted her life from Texas to Vancouver to help out the studio. She had been happy to do it when they asked. Even with her makeup line getting off the ground, she missed being on set. She missed getting to hone her special effects skills. Not that they did anything too crazy on Supernatural, but she had fallen into a rut doing her YouTube tutorials on more everyday looks that she had forgotten how fun it was to cover someone in blood. Especially when that someone was Jensen. No one should look that good covered in blood.

His hand grabbed her wrist, bringing her out of her thoughts. “Y/n, answer your phone. We have plenty of time before I have to be on set.” 

She bit her tongue, Jensen and her both knew that they did not have any spare time. They were already the last ones left inside the trailer. There was no point in arguing with him, it would just take up more time that they didn’t have. With a sigh, she set down the sponge in her hand and picked up the ringing phone. 

“Hey Abby.” 

“Thank god you picked up! We lost Ashley for our spring collection.” Abby, her office manager, spit out the words so fast that she barely caught them. Jensen was watching her closely, though his expression remained neutral. 

“What do you mean? What the hell happened?!” She turned away from Jensen. Landing Ashley Graham after she dropped her contract with L’Oréal had been a miracle. Not only was Ashley her primary spokesperson now, but the two of them had collaborated on the spring collection. It was the upcoming collection that she was most excited about. The two women had become quick friends in their few business meetings. This was the last thing she needed right now. 

“Well, she’s pregnant now and her contract stated that she would have to be present for press around her due date. Her team called to let us know and the lawyers dropped her.” Abby explained. 

“Seriously? They dropped her because she got pregnant? That can’t even be legal!” She spit out. She could feel the anger resonating in her chest, her whole body flushing. “I’ve built this whole company on empowering women and you are telling me that the lawyers I hired dropped her because she got pregnant? Are they trying to bury us into the ground?” 

“They said because she breached contract…”

“Was there no contingency at all in her contract? How could she have breached her contract? This is insane.” She didn’t even let Abby finish. She was fuming. Not only did she have a long day on set today, but now she was going to have to spend all her free time doing damage control with Ashley and speaking with the company’s public relations officer to make sure this didn’t get out. 

“Listen Abby, drop the law firm we have. I want a new one by Monday. Send me everything you’ve got on who you are looking at and I’ll weed out the ones I want. I want portfolios for the best of the best in my email by tomorrow morning.”

“Yes ma’am. I’m sorry.” Y/n could hear Abby scribbling down every instruction. 

“It’s not your fault, Abby. Also, please have Carrina call me as soon as possible.” She softened her tone. The last thing she wanted was to take it out on Abby. 

“Got it.” Abby hung up and it took everything in Y/n not to chuck her phone across the room. This was absolutely the last thing her company needed. Being so new, they could not afford a scandal like this situation could become. 

“That didn’t sound so good.” She had forgotten that Jensen was in the trailer with her and his voice startled her. 

“Just my fucking lawyers trying to bury my company into the ground.” She grumbled before going back to creating the bruise on his cheek. 

“Do you need to go deal with some stuff ‘cause I can grab Trish.” He was just trying to help, she knew that, but the anger boiling inside her took over her rational thought. 

“No! I’m here to do a job and I’ll do it.” She set her mouth in a hard line. Her comment shut Jensen up quickly. Immediately, she felt horrible about her outburst. It wasn’t his fault, and he didn’t deserve to be spoken to like that. Her voice was lower this time. “Sorry.”

“You wanna talk about it?” He tried. He could tell she was stewing. She was still applying his makeup, but she wasn’t present anymore. Autopilot had taken over as her thoughts ran rampant.

“I hired this model to collaborate and model my coming spring collection. Well, I guess she informed my company that she is pregnant now and her due date comes around when we are supposed to do a press circuit for the collection. The lawyers said she breached contract and dropped her.” She explained as she put the finishing touches on him. She turned to grab the powder to set the makeup before looking back at him. 

“I’ve staked my whole reputation on the empowerment of women and what message does that send my customers? We have to walk the walk you know?” She leaned against the counter, her body coiling in on itself. 

“Yeah I know. Every little move is scrutinized by people who don’t even know you.” Jensen agreed. He shifted in his chair, straightening himself as he waited for her to continue. 

“It’s just frustrating. We have a long day today and now I have to deal with this on top of it. I’ve got to call Ashley personally and apologize and then work with my public relations officer to make sure it doesn’t get out before we can fix it. Oh and to top it all off, I have to find new lawyers.” She smiled, the action disingenuous. She was fighting back the tears. Being an angry crier was one of the most frustrating things she had dealt with all her life. Not only did anger and frustration generate the tears, but then the frustration over the tears had it all spinning in a vicious cycle. There was no way she could let them come now, not at her place of work and certainly not in front of Jensen. She was the boss, and she could not let that front down. 

“I’m sorry I pushed you to answer your phone.” Jensen said honestly. He could see her chewing on the inside of her cheek. 

“It’s fine.” She waved him off. “It’s better that I know now. Gives me more time to get ahead of it.” She dabbed the brush in her hand against the setting powder, shook off the excess, and then lightly brushed it across his cheek. 

“You’re all done. Go kick some demon ass.” She was teasing, but her tone was still heavy with the weight on her shoulders. She turned and busied herself with picking up his essentials into his bag, looking everywhere but at him. Her distraction meant she didn’t see him stop and turn as he opened the door, trying to decide if there was anything else he could say to make her feel better before deciding against it, giving her one last look before finally leaving. With the door shutting behind him, he didn’t see her gaze flick up to the door in the mirror, hoping to see him one last time before she let the tears fall. 

****

The cast and crew broke for lunch just a little before noon. Today, they were on the stages and inside most of the day. She didn’t have to worry about freezing her ass off on top of everything else, at least for now. Normally, she could handle juggling everything. Her company was still young, barely crawling and that meant every movement had meaning. The whole situation looked bad to any company, no matter if it was new or not, but it could be especially damaging to hers. It made her look like a hypocrite. 

“Hey, do you know what’s up with Y/n?” Trish sat down empty handed across the table from Jared and Jensen. 

“No.” Jared turned in his seat, following Trish’s gaze to his sister pacing back and forth, her phone glued to her ear. Her mouth was set in a hard line and her brows were wrinkled together. They couldn’t hear her from where they were, but they could see she was talking animatedly. 

“It’s probably about this morning.” Jensen said nonchalant, not even looking up from his phone. He shoved a large bite of his lunch into his mouth. 

“What happened this morning?” Jared turned back around as he asked.

“Something about her company dropping a model because she’s pregnant. Y/n took it pretty hard. Honestly, she looked like she was going to cry.” Jensen put his phone down this time. Trish and Jared were both staring at him. “What?”

“She does that.” Jared explained after a beat.

“Does what?’’ Trish didn’t fully understand what he was trying to say. 

“Cry. When she gets really angry or frustrated she cries. We used to make fun of her when we were little, you know how mean big brothers are. It would only make it worse. Not to mention she doesn’t like people to see her cry. She is very guarded when it comes to her emotions. She’s always felt like she has had to put up the devil may care attitude.” Jared explained.

“She snapped at me when I asked her if she wanted me to grab Trish so she could take care of it.” Jensen added.

“Not surprising either. She thinks she can handle everything, that asking for help is a sign of weakness. I mean this company is her baby. She created it all on her own and if she felt that that was threatened, she’d definitely lose it.” Jared snuck a look back at his sister again. She was looking at her phone now, her foot tapping against the concrete. “I feel bad, ‘cause I asked her to do this, and now I’m worried she is overwhelmed.” 

“Just give her the weekend to sort out this problem. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Trish left the table then, and headed to grab her own lunch. Jensen had finished his plate, standing just as Trish did.

“Where you going?” Jared looked up at him, his brows knitted together. 

“I’m done eating, and I doubt your sister has had anything.” Jensen shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed his empty plate. 

“So you’re grabbing her food?” Jared didn’t understand. “She’s an adult. If she wants to eat she will.” 

“You’re right, you are a mean big brother.” Jensen shoved Jared’s shoulder and headed off back towards the caterer. Jensen wasn’t exactly sure what she liked to eat, but he knew she had to eat something. He heard her stomach growling this morning while she was fixing his makeup and he hadn’t seen her eat anything in the hours they had been filming. They had turkey chili today, and he figured it was a safe bet. He got a bowl and topped it with cheese and sour cream before taking it over to where she was now pacing again. 

****

Emails and texts had her phone vibrating non-stop all day. She was going back and forth with Carrine and Abby over everything. She even had to find her external battery to charge it back up once already and it was only lunch. 

When lunch had finally come around, she had a chance to call Ashley. Profusely, she apologized for the misunderstanding. Ashley was a saint about it, fortunately. She told her she knew it had to be some kind of mistake. After having gotten to know each other personally, she couldn’t see Et Cetera dropping her just like that. The call was quick and sweet and she promised Ashley she would have a new contract for her by the end of the day on Monday. 

The call with her relations officer was less enjoyable. Carrine had explained to her that somehow it had been leaked already. It had been barely twenty-four hours since the whole debacle and somehow news outlets had gotten wind of the story. She would most likely have to make a statement, Ashley too. People would want to hear both sides of the story. 

She was typing an email to Ashley, apologizing again and explaining that she would come up with a statement for her to approve by the end of the day so they could both say something when movement to her left caught her eye. 

“How’s it going?” Jensen flashed her his dazzling smile, the food he had grabbed for her in his hand. 

“Better, I guess. I talked to Ashley, but somehow it got out already. I’m thinking it was her team. So now we have to do damage control.” She finished her typing and locked her phone with a sigh. 

“That sucks. I brought you some turkey chili though.” He set the bowl down on the table not far from her. 

“I’m good, thank you.” She smiled weakly, going back to doing something on her phone. 

“Y/n, your stomach was growling at seven this morning and I know for a fact that you have not eaten yet.” He crossed his arms and sat down at the table.

“What are you my dad?” Her eyes narrowed at him. “I’m not hungry.” She insisted, only to be betrayed by her stomach growling again. Jensen laughed to himself, cocking that one eyebrow.

“You sure about that? If you don’t like chili I can grab you something else.” He tried.

“I love chili actually.” She admitted as she slipped her phone into her back jean pocket before sitting down across from him. Being so preoccupied, she hadn’t even realized she had neglected to eat. Now, with the smell wafting from the bowl, she was suddenly ravenous, her mouth watering. She unwrapped the plastic spoon and dug in. The chili was exceptional, and she moaned around the spoon. 

“I think I’ll leave you two alone.” Jensen laughed and began to stand. Her face flushed pink as he sat back down.

“Shut up.” She chided. She took another bite, relishing in it, silently this time, before continuing. “Really, though, thank you.” 

“You’re Jared’s little sister, and that means you are family. Family takes care of each other.” 

“Oh yeah then why didn’t my brother bring me this?” She challenged before taking another bite. 

“Cause your brother is obtuse, frankly.” Jensen crossed his arms and leaned onto the table. 

“Obtuse?” She wasn’t quite sure where he was taking this.

“He’s not the one who noticed you didn’t eat all day, or that you’ve been distant.” Jensen pointed out. 

“And you did?” His comment stuck something inside her. He had been paying close attention to her, an idea that made her suddenly self-conscious. It was probably just because he had been there when Abby had called this morning, but a part of her couldn’t help but hope it was more than that. 

“And Trish.” He attempted to back pedal, not wanting to sound creepy. She couldn’t deny she was disappointed by that. 

“Well, my brother is busy, and he’s got his own problems he’s dealing with.” Could she really blame him for not noticing? Years of practice had made her nearly an expert on pushing down her feelings and expressing this aurora of nonchalance. Clearly, it worked better on her brother than Jensen, a fact that had her stomach rolling. 

“Apparently so since I had to take over big brother duty for him.” She let out a huff of air. Every comment Jensen made had her mind in a tug of war. On one side, he is kind and flirty, and then he will quickly revert to big brother mode, all teasing and protective. All of it was giving her whiplash. Her crush was growing with every kind gesture, like bringing her lunch, only to be squashed back down with comments like these. It left this weird emptiness in her chest every time. 

She took another bite of her chili, mumbling to herself, “Just what I need, another big brother.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long day on set, the reader want’s nothing more than the relax on her day off. That includes going out to let off a little pent up frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the word count is a little closer to 4k than 5k but still, it’s a long one. Thank you again for reading and all of your lovely comments, they seriously make my day.

“Cut! That’s a wrap on episode seven guys. Go have a good weekend.” The director called out. Y/n had never been on her feet faster, especially considering she was nearly asleep not even five minutes ago. The night shoot had gone much later than they had anticipated. She was cold, and tired.

“Thank jesus get me out of here.” She whined under her breath as she ran to the waiting car. Thankfully they didn’t have to go back to set, so it was just the half hour ride back to Jared’s apartment between her and her bed. 

“In a rush, kid?” Clif was one of the only people she allowed to call her that. 

“Yes, it’s fucking cold and I’m tired.” She had Jensen’s makeup bag under her arm as she climbed into the back seat of the already warmed SUV.

“I’ll grab dumb and dumber so we can skedaddle.” Clif promised her. She chuckled at ‘skedaddle’. It was his thing with her, using weird words that were just out of his normal dialogue enough that people who didn’t know him would think he was serious. Except for the dumb and dumber part. He meant that.

“You are a real lifesaver you know that? I don’t think there is anyone else who could rangle those two quite like you.” They exchanged a laugh before she shut the door, letting the heat of the car seep into her bones. 

Her body had begun to drift into unconsciousness when the back door opened. Her eyes shot open to be greeted by Jensen climbing into the back seat. She scooted further over to make room for him and buckled herself in as he did the same. Jared climbed into the front seat at the same time. Neither of them said anything as the car set out on the road. Everyone was passed conversation at this point. 

She allowed the soft music playing and the gentle rock of the vehicle to lull her back into a suspended consciousness. She could feel her head rolling on her neck as her control ebbed away. She welcomed it in fact, that is, until her forehead whacked right onto the door window. 

“Ah fuck!” she growled, her hand flying to the now sore area. Jared spun around to look at her, his silent chuckles shaking his shoulders. “I’m glad to see you think this is funny.” She shot a glare at her brother. 

“I mean, come on, it’s kind of funny.” Jared tried, only to be met by another glare from her. 

“It is not, it fucking hurts.” Her fingers were massaging the area gingerly, but she still winced in pain at the feeling. 

Jensen was quick to turn on the interior light and pull her hand away from her forehead. With his fingers on her chin, he turned her head to his so he could inspect where her forehead had made contact with the glass. A small, red bump had begun forming above her left eye. 

“There’s a bump, and you’ll probably have a killer headache, but you should be fine.” He noted. She looked up at him, silently thanking him. Their faces were close enough that she could feel his breath on her face and see the gold flecks in his irises even in the low light. She tried hard to ignore the way her skin tingled where his fingertips made contact with her jaw. After lunch today, she told herself she had to get this stupid crush in check. He would never look at her the same way, he has already basically admitted to that. With every kind smile and soft gesture from him, that task was growing more and more difficult. 

“An improvement surely.” Jared was fully laughing now. She flipped him her middle finger, only prompting him to laugh harder as he turned back towards the front. Jensen leaned forward and shut the light back off. 

“We are almost there.” Jensen assured her when she groaned as she felt the bump for herself. “Then you can sleep.” 

She nodded, the pain now radiating in her skull was not going to let her fall asleep again anytime soon. He wasn’t kidding about that headache. All she wanted now was a hot bath and to be able to sleep through Saturday. She sighed in relief as their apartment building came into view. Clif pulled up to the doors and the three of them hopped out of the car. Her feet felt like cinder blocks and her head was still throbbing. The distractions of her aching body meant she barely registered the fact that Jensen was following them until they stopped outside the elevators. 

“Where are you going?” She asked him.

“Jensen is crashing with us for the night. His apartment is on the other side of town and we didn’t want to make Clif take him all the way over there and then have to come all the way back this way.” Jared punched the number for their floor as they climbed into the elevator. “We do it all the time.” 

“Hmm, interesting.” Even tired and sore, her smartass tendancies couldn’t be silenced. Her eyebrows raised high on her forehead as she glanced between the two men.

“Not really.” Jared pushed her shoulder. She shrugged, not saying anything else, but the smile never left her lips. The elevator reached their floor quickly and the three dispersed as they entered the apartment. First she went for the medicine cabinet and popped a few ibuprofen into her mouth before heading to her room. She began stripping her clothes as soon as her door shut behind her, realising quickly that she didn’t even have the energy to take off her makeup let alone to take a bath. Instead, she half assed her nightly skin care routine, careful not to anger the lump on her forehead, and climbed into bed. She was out before her head hit the pillow.

****

Light behind her eyelids roused her into consciousness. She fought against it, hoping to stay snuggled under her warm blankets. There were no Supernatural obligations for today, and she was determined to keep it that way. Now though, there was a tug on her bladder that was insistent, and she was forced to oblige. As expected, the room was too cold compared to her bed, inciting her to run across the hall to the spare bathroom. Making quick work of her business, she was back in her room in search of her fluffy robe. It wasn’t exactly the sexiest thing she owned, but it was damn warm and that was all that mattered at the moment. She grabbed her phone before heading to the kitchen to make coffee. It was only a quarter till eight in the morning, earlier than she had expected to wake, but now that she was out of bed, she would not be able to fall back asleep. It had always been that way for her. Once her body was awake, she found it difficult to reverse it. At least there was ample opportunity today for a nap when the inevitable drowsiness hit later in the day.

After starting the coffee maker, she rustled around in the fridge in search of breakfast. The boys weren’t up yet, but it probably wouldn’t be long before they were. She pulled out the turkey bacon and eggs and set to cooking them up. She also threw some bread in the toaster. She stepped away momentarily to fill her mug once the brew had finished before returning to the task at hand. She was pouring the grease out of the pan to make the eggs when a voice startled her.

“Mmm, Jared has never cooked me breakfast before.” She turned her head around to see Jensen standing at the other side of the island. He had on a t-shirt that was a size too big and sweatpants that were just a little too long, making her assume that the clothing belonged to her brother. 

“Who said I made some for you?” She quipped as she turned the burner down slightly and began cracking a few eggs. 

Jensen pointed to the tall stack of buttered toast and pile of bacon on the counter. “You’re gonna eat all that?” 

She seasoned the eggs quickly before flashing him a wicked smile. “Jensen, you have never truly seen me eat have you? I can put my brother to shame.” 

“No way sweetheart. I don’t believe it. Jared is a bottomless pit.” She scoffed. 

“Have you seen me?” She was quick to look back at the eggs in the pan. The words escaped her lips before she could stop them, and she instantly regretted it. Of course he had seen her, he makes that clear every time he calls himself her big brother. She hated how easily her insecurities seemed to creep back up on her since she had been up here in Vancouver. Could she chalk it up to simply being out of her element? It wasn’t a bad bet, uprooting your life and moving across the continent did tend to be jarring. She hoped she just had to adjust to her new, albeit temporary, life. She would focus on adjusting, she tried to convince herself, instead of the nagging in her brain telling her that maybe it had to do with Jensen. 

“Y/n-” He started but she cut him off, her voice shaky.

“You like scrambled or over easy?” She bit her lip as she looked at him, pleading with him to drop it. He did. 

“Over easy is fine.” She plated the three eggs for him and set it down without a word. Jared came shuffling into the kitchen as she was finishing up a plate for him as well. 

“Morning,” He gushed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He plucked a piece of bacon from the plate and took a bite as he stepped up next to his sister. “I should have invited you to stay with me a long time ago if I knew you were going to be making me breakfast on the weekends.” He placed a wet kiss to her cheek as she handed him his plate. 

“Yeah well don’t get used to it Jare,” She warned.

“Oh, so you only made breakfast cause Ackles is here?” His teasing sent blood rushing up her neck and to the apples of her cheeks. This whole thing was getting out of hand, she was acting like a schoolgirl. It was more apparent now than even last night she needed to get a grip. That’s when it hit her. What better way to get one guy off your mind than to let loose and find some other guy to hook up with? Okay, there were probably better ways. But this was faster. 

“It’s called being a good host.” She played off the burning in her face as she sat down at the table with her own plate. “You should try it sometime.” 

****

After breakfast, she settled in front of the tv, turning on one of her favorite movies to pass the time with. She didn’t even bother changing out of her pajamas quite yet. 

“Hairspray, really?” She turned her head to see Jared and Jensen all dressed. Jared had a set of keys in hand. 

“Yes really, it’s a classic. And who can resist Zac Efron.” She smirked back at the two of them. Jensen had an expression on his face that she couldn’t quite place. He shifted his focus back to Jared as she made eye contact.

“Isn’t he a little young for you?” Jared asked. 

“No, actually he is older than I am.” She could feel Jensen’s staring at her again, but she refused to meet his eyes. “Besides, what is age but a number between two consenting adults?” 

“Please stop talking.” Jared scrunched up his nose. He always was uncomfortable with her blatant approach towards sex. “Well Jay and I are headed out. I’m gonna take him home and then I’m going to run some errands.” He explained.

“Okay well you boys have fun.” She giggled as Jared and Jensen headed out. She was excited to have the whole place to herself for a few hours. When Hairspray finished, she jumped into the shower and got dressed. Luckily, the swelling in her forehead had gone down and it was barely visible. Nothing she couldn’t fix with a little makeup. When she was all ready she cleaned up the kitchen before choosing a second movie to watch for the day. 

Still determined to go out, she sent a text asking the girls from work if they would be interested, and they all replied enthusiastically. Trish promised she had the perfect place for them to go and they set a time to meet. 

She was putting the finishing touches on her look later that evening when she heard the front door open. Jared walked by her open door as she was putting on her boots. 

“I thought today was a lazy day?” He stopped in her door frame, both hands on either side of it.

“And it was, mostly. But now I’m going out.” She stood up and smoothed out her jeans. 

“Cool, I’ll come with.” He said it like she was going to the grocery store.

“Uh, hold up. You are not.” She spun towards him in a flash. She held her hand up, halting his movement.

“Why not, It’s Saturday.” He crossed his arms, not understanding where she was coming from. 

“Sure it’s Saturday, you can go out with your friends. You are not following me out.”

“Why not, we haven’t hung out much since you’ve been here.” Jared was pulling out the puppy dog eyes that he had perfected on his show. She knew better, she would not fall for them. 

“Then let’s grab dinner tomorrow or something. Jare, I’m thirty-one years old, I can’t have my big brother following me out to the bar.” Her tone was whinier than she had anticipated, but maybe if she pulled out the annoying little sister card, he may back off. It had worked in the past. 

“Why, you plan on trying to bring a guy home?” As much, as Jared tried not to think of his little sister taking home random guys, he wasn’t an idiot. He just liked living in denial. 

“No, absolutely not.” A small smirk formed on her face as she carefully chose her next words. “We would go back to his place.” 

“Ugh, fine. Just keep your location on please? I don’t need tomorrow’s headlines saying ‘Supernatural star’s younger sister missing’.” She couldn’t help but laugh at his look of disgust on his face. Twice in one day was a win. “Maybe even take a picture of the guy and upload it to the cloud just in case.” 

“Jared! I will be fine.” He started to argue but she continued before he could get the words out. “And you know, I always share my location with friends.” Her phone vibrated with the message that the girls were downstairs waiting. 

“Make good choices!” He called after her as she ran out the door. 

Rushing down the stairs with her coat and purse in hand, she hopped into the car full of excited women. The bar was a new place that opened up in the last year, and according to Trish, it was crawling with Vancouver’s most eligible bachelors. It was just what the doctor ordered. With everything happening, she had been busy as a bee. That meant no time for men, and it had been a while. 

“I’ll grab us some drinks, find a table.” She told the other girls. They nodded and she headed to the bar. She leaned against it casually as she waited for the bartender, scoping out the men inside. There was a decent selection spread out in front of her. It was just about reeling in the right one. Her gaze caught a dark haired man across the other side of the bar as she placed her order. He was staring at her as his friend talked to him. He was attractive enough, and if the look he was sending her was any indication, he thought she was attractive too. She offered him a warm smile in return before jetting off to the girls, drinks in hand. 

“What do you think?” Trish asked her as she sat down. 

“I think this is exactly what I needed. Don’t get me wrong, I love my brother, but he has been the only company I’ve had recently. I needed to get away from him and out of that apartment.” She took a hefty swig of her drink, letting the alcohol warm her from the inside. 

“Big brothers can be like that.” Mikaela, one of the other makeup artists on the show, added. 

“Ugh, tell me about it. You know he tried to join us tonight. Practically insisted on it. But how is a girl supposed to get laid with her big brother trailing behind her.” She rubbed her temples as she laughed. 

“Odette is gonna be in trouble. With two older brothers and her daddy she is gonna have one hell of a time trying to go anywhere.” Trish agreed with a laugh.

“Well, that’s what the fun aunt is for.” Y/n winked. All the women were laughing when someone interrupted. 

“I hate to break up the laugh fest, but I couldn’t wait any longer to ask you if I could buy you a drink?” The dark haired gentleman from the bar earlier had his hand on the back of her chair, his bottom lip pulled just barely between his teeth as he waited for her answer. She glanced at her half full cup before Trish pulled it from her hands. 

“I got this one.” Trish gave her a pointed look and she just giggled at the woman’s brazzeness. 

“Well I guess I’m in need of one now.” She hopped off the chair and let the guy guide her back to the bar, his hand just barely on her lower back. She took note of his height. He wasn’t short exactly, but he in no way compared to the giants she was used to. The guy signaled the bartender and they placed an order. She hopped up on a bar stool and he did the same. 

“So, what brings you out tonight?” He asked her. 

“Just needed to blow off some steam. Been burning my candle on both ends lately. What about you?” She turned slightly towards him, allowing her knee to rest against his. 

“My buddy over there says I don’t get out of the house enough.” He made a noncommittal gesture towards the man she had noticed him with earlier. 

“Why’s that?” 

“I’m an ER doctor. If I’m not on a twelve hour shift I’m sleeping.” He laughed. 

“A doctor, really? I would have never guessed that.” She smiled at him. Sure it could have all been a lie. It wasn’t like it mattered in the end. She just needed him for tonight, not forever. 

“What about you, what do you do for work?” 

“I’m a makeup artist.” She was sipping heavily on the drink he had bought for her, letting the alcohol lower her inhibitions just enough that she wouldn’t chicken out. Truth be told, she had only done this a handful of times. The whole idea was messy to her, and picking up guys at bars wasn’t always the easiest thing for her. She was going to swallow all that down tonight. Her body was craving some sort of release.

“Is that fun work?” He had turned towards her a little more, both of them closing the space between each other. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body with their proximity. He smelled like expensive cologne and whiskey. It was intoxicating, and she couldn’t be happier with the selection. 

“Yeah it is. But it’s long hours too. I mean nothing compared to yours I’m sure. It’s a lot of waiting around and making sure the actors don’t do anything too stupid to mess up all my work.” 

“Sounds boring.” His brow furrowed. She watched him for a moment, trying to assess what he was thinking. 

“Sometimes yeah it can be. But it is also laid back. We have a lot of fun-” Someone calling her name stopped her short. She whipped her head towards the crowd to see Jared prancing up towards her, his arms out wide. He hugged her tightly, but she made no move to hug him back. The guy she was talking to leaned back, unsure of what to do. Jared was lucky they were in public, or else she would be punching him. 

“Who is this?” The guy asked, a confused smile on his face as he tried to size up her brother. 

“My idiot of an older brother. Give me a second?” She said through clenched teeth. He nodded and she grabbed Jared’s arm, pulling him towards the door of the bar. They moved effortlessly through the crowd of people until she decided they were far enough away from the bar. 

“What the hell are you doing?” She crossed her arms and glared up at him. Her teeth sunk into the tip of her tongue as she fought back hurling something mean at him, for now. 

“You said you were going out which I thought sounded like fun, so I asked Jay if he wanted to grab some drinks.” Jared was explaining. It was her turn to cut him off.

“Jensen is here with you?” She looked around, noticing Jensen not far from the guy she had just walked away from. She silently begged him not to go up to the guy. This was beyond embarrassing already without adding on whatever he could say to the guy in her absence. 

“Yeah, who else am I gonna go for drinks with?” 

“And you just happen to land at the same bar as me?” Vancouver wasn’t a small place. There were plenty of bars to see. Trish had said that this place was newer, so maybe the boys had been meaning to check it out. Though, the place seemed a little out of the boys’ tastes. It was all too much of a coincidence and she was far from letting him off easy. 

That’s when it hit her. “Jared Padalecki did you trace my phone?” Her voice was nearing a pitch only dogs could hear, but she was passed caring. Jared had crossed the line.

“Y/n,”

“No! Don’t you even dare try talking your way out of this! I’m not a child, and I’m certainly not your child. You have got to let me live my life, I’m begging you. Or I’m gonna go insane.” The words didn’t need to be said out loud, the vein in her forehead was proof enough that she was close to breaking. Jared had seen it plenty of times before. 

“You mean more insane than you are now?” He was smiling but she was only a hairs breadth away from socking him for real, screw being in public. With an audible growl, she stalked back over to the guy she had been talking to, only to find Jensen had taken her seat. 

“You two are insufferable, you know that?” She grabbed Jensen by the upper arm, ignoring his protests and shoved him into the crowd of people before turning to the poor man who had to witness that whole thing.

“I am so sorry. My brother and his friend think that I’m still twelve. Thank you for the drink, but I have to now go crawl under a rock. Goodnight.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Wait! Can I call you sometime?” He called after her as she turned. 

“Sure…” 

“Ben.” He smiled and took out his phone. She typed in her name and number and handed it back to him. Though, she doubted she would ever get a call. No guy wants to go up against a large overprotective older brother, much less that older brother and his equally large friend.

“Bye Ben.” Her smile was warm before she turned, letting her face set into an icy glare as she rounded on her brother and Jensen. Both men visibly recoiled under her gaze. 

“And you. I can’t believe you went along with this.” She jabbed Jensen in the chest with her finger. He shot back from her, confused as to why she was mad with him. 

“Ow, okay, hold on a minute. I had no idea what he was up to.” He frowned as he rubbed the spot she had just poked. 

“Like I’ll ever believe that. You two just love to rile each other up. You are like a pair of kindergarteners.” She moved past them and out of the bar. She had to send a message to Trish to let her know what had happened. The mood was over. What she wanted now was to just go home and actually crawl under that rock, though she supposed her blankets would suffice. 

“You could have stayed and talked to him.” Jared tried as she ordered an uber. 

“Sure, and would you have let me leave with him?” She quirked an eyebrow up at her brother. 

“Well, I-” 

“That’s what I thought. What’s the point if I’m not gonna get laid? I didn’t come out here to find a husband. I just needed him for tonight.” She was so focused on her brother’s disgusted face that she didn’t register the way her words had Jensen’s jaw clenching. 

“Please stop talking.” Jared begged her, interrupting her before she could say something that would scar him for life.

“Nope, you wanted to come barging in there and kill my chances, your gonna hear all about how I was-” 

“Blah! Blah blah blah!” Jared covered his ears like a child. She burst out laughing, satisfied at having gotten him back, for now. Her phone buzzed letting her know the car was arriving.

“You guys actually going to go have drinks or are you coming?” She asked as she paused, opening the door to get in. Jensen looked to Jared, who shook his head, the pair of them following her into the small Prius.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader finally has her opportunity to make things right with Ashley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It’s been a while. I’m not going to lie, this is a slow burn so just get yourselves ready for that. It’ll be worth it though I promise. I love love love your feedback though, so keep it coming… please…

Jared didn’t get a chance to speak to his sister for the rest of the weekend. After an awkward car ride back to their apartment, she went straight to her room. She didn’t come out all day Sunday either. He had no idea if she even ate all day. When he sent her a text asking her if she thought she was being a little over dramatic, she just said absolutely. Her tactic had worked, as much as he hated it. The silent treatment always worked on him. Jared was a habitual people pleaser, and he knew that maybe, just maybe, he had gone a little overboard this time. He apologized to her on their way to set on Monday, and she accepted. 

“I love that you just want what is best for me, but you’ve gotta trust that I know what that is.” She hugged him as he nodded in agreement. Jared knew his sister was a smart woman, he just needed to start treating her like she was. He had kids of his own to parent, he should not be worrying about her anymore. At least not all the time. 

The two of them were back to joking around in the makeup trailer when Jensen made his way in. “Glad to see you two made up.” He smiled and sat down in her chair. 

“Well, he apologized and promised to stop being so overprotective. So he’s off the hook so long as he keeps his promise.” She began rifling through Jensen’s bag for the things she needed for the day. “Can’t say the same for you.” 

“What? I already told you I had no idea what he was up to. You can’t fault a guy for wanting to go out and grab a drink.” Jensen had a legitimately offended look on his face and she couldn’t help but laugh at him. 

“No, but I can fault you for being friends with the big dummy over there.” She pointed the makeup brush in her hand towards her brother who just waved at the two of them. 

“I can’t argue with that I guess.” Jensen relented as he turned his face up to her as she started her work. “So how long am I in the doghouse for?”

“Um, probably like eleven thirty.” He frowned up at her. Her answer was oddly specific. “I haven’t had breakfast so try again after I’ve eaten, I’m generally more pleasant then.” Jared and her burst out laughing, and Jensen couldn’t help but join in. 

“You two really are alike.” He noted. 

“Unfortunately you are right about that.” She agreed. 

The scenes they had for today were simple, so she finished up on Jensen in record time. The three of them were headed onto set, when she was checking emails. With her nose in her phone, she didn’t notice the men stopping in front of her, and she walked right into Jensen. 

“Shit, sorry.” She cringed as she caught her balance before her ass could hit the ground. Jensen and Jared turned on her, perplexed. 

“What’s so interesting?” Jared tried reading her phone over her shoulder. She tugged it out of his view, pointing a warning finger his way.

“Hey, boundaries.” She warned. “I just got an email from Ashley, she needs a makeup artist for her glam team and she wants me.” 

“That’s great! Right?” Jensen didn’t want to sound too happy if he wasn’t meant to be, he was still technically in the doghouse with her. 

She nodded at him enthusiastically. “It’s perfect. It gives us the opportunity to make a joint public statement that everything is still good with us.” Her fingers were typing away as she spoke. She needed Abby to book her a red eye now.

“When do you need to be there?” Jared asked her. 

“I have to be in her suite by two in the afternoon on Saturday.”

“Isn’t that cutting it a little close, we do have a night shoot Friday.” Jared explained. 

“Eh, it’s work. I can sleep on the plane.” She shrugged and put her phone in her pocket. “Guys this is great news.” She shook her brothers shoulders with both hands before walking past them into the studio, leaving Jared to share a worried look with Jensen. 

****

Unfortunately her flight had been crowded, and she drew the short end of the stick and was in the middle seat. With an elderly gentleman drooling on her shoulder and a crying baby on her other side, she wasn’t able to get too much sleep. Luckily, with the time her flight got into New York, she would have enough time for a quick shower. She just had to get to the hotel.

The ride she had ordered was stuck in traffic just outside the airport. It took it nearly twenty minutes alone just to get to the pickup terminal. It had to get her all the way to Manhattan, and with it being peak rush hour, she was looking at an hour, at least, in the car. Her open window was closing quicker than she had anticipated. 

By the time she had made into her room, she had forty-five minutes to shower and get herself presentable. It felt like the minutes were slipping away as she stood in front of her mirror doing her hair and makeup. The perception of time had never been more aggravating to her than in this moment. 

She triple checked that she had everything she needed before sprinting out of her room to the elevator. Ashley’s suite wasn’t far from the elevators and she knocked on the door with two minutes to spare. She was never late to anything, and she would be damned if she started now. 

“Y/n! I’m seriously so glad you could make it.”Ashley’s hair was still wet and she was in one of the hotels fluffy robes as she held out her hands to hug her. 

“Not as glad as me I’m sure. Thank you again for understanding.” She hugged Ashley tightly. 

“Nonsense, mistakes happen. Not your fault, I’m just glad we can clear the air tonight.” 

“Same, now come on show me what you are wearing.” She followed Ashley further into the room and dropped off her things in the main room. Ashley showed her the outfit that had been designed for the event tonight. It was floor length and off the shoulders in an elegant emerald green. Her shoes and jewelry were all gold. She knew she had the perfect thing to go with it all. 

The two of them sat down as she got her hair dried and styled, going over Ashley’s options. Her Christmas collection had the perfect tones to go with everything. 

She set to setting up the base on Ashley’s face. She blended in her contour and highlight and then grabbed her phone. 

“Okay, you ready to go live for the finishing touches?” She asked Ashley as she switched out her blender for her eyeshadow tools. She handed her phone over to Ashley.

“Absolutely, let’s do this.” 

****

Jensen was perched on Jared’s couch, mindlessly scrolling through his instagram when the notification for a new live video popped up. He clicked it, only to be greeted by Y/n and Ashley’s smiling faces.

“Hello instagram! I bet you are wondering what I’ve been up to. Well, besides being annoyed by my older brother constantly, I’ve been working with this beauty right next to me. I guess the cat is out of the bag now, so I can say that Ashley and I have collaborated for my upcoming spring collection, and not to be presumptuous, but I have to say it is shaping up to be my favorite one yet.” Y/n was grinning from ear to ear as she spoke. She oozed personality, and Jensen couldn’t help but smile with her. This was the first time he had seen her in front of the camera, and frankly, she was a natural. It was no wonder she had made it as far as she had. 

“It’s definitely my favorite.” Ashley laughed. “No but seriously this has been one of the most exciting things I have done in my career. Y/n you have so helpful in showing me the way and I love how much both our personalities shine in this collection.”

“And I don’t think any of you are going to be expecting this palate from a spring collection either.”

“It’s springy but in the nontraditional sense for sure.” Ashley agreed.

“But enough about spring, it’s Christmas time right now and I’m here with Ashley in New York and we are getting her red carpet ready. I’ve brought with me my Noel eyeshadow palette and we are going to get this woman looking even more amazing than she already does.” Jensen was so engrossed in the video he didn’t notice Jared peering over his shoulder. 

“Dude is that my sister doing a makeup video?” Jared handed Jensen a beer. Jensen nodded as he took the bottle. “Why are you watching that?” 

“I don’t know, I got the notification and I clicked on it.” Jensen shrugged. He hadn’t meant to watch it, but was curious. She seemed genuinely happy and in her element. It made him feel better knowing how hard the past week had been for her. 

“I’m glad she got the opportunity to fix things with that model.” 

“Yeah, she seems really happy.” Jensen agreed. His attention was brought back to the screen when he heard one of them mentioned Supernatural.

“You guys want me to go live on set? Why, there is nothing interesting going there.” She and Ashley had a smirk on their faces as she continued to do her makeup. 

“Come on those guys aren’t half bad to look at.” Ashley urged her. 

“A, one of those guys is my brother so no. And B, Jensen is only pretty after I’m done with him.” Jared laughed as the look on Jensen’s face dropped. 

“Come on really?” Ashley questioned. “The fans seem to think otherwise.” 

“Fine, you’re right, he’s stupidly pretty. Like a grown man should not be that pretty.” She relented. Ashley nodded her head at the camera in agreement a huge grin on her face. Y/n was trying to hide her own giggle over her shoulder. “Alright I promise I will try but I can’t guarantee the boys will be there. Any other questions you guys have?” 

Jensen locked his phone as he laughed at her words, he didn’t want Jared to see the blush on his neck. It wasn’t the first time he had heard a woman say that about him, even women he knew, but for some reason, her words struck something in him. Jared was still laughing too as he sat down on the chair across from Jensen. 

“I’m so going to make fun of her for that on Monday.” Jared sunk down into the chair as he drank his beer. 

“You are lucky your sister is nice.” Jensen explained. “Mackenzie would kill me if I tried to pull something like that.” 

“Oh she will surely try to kill me, but man, it'll be worth it just to see the look on her face.” 

“You really are mean.” Jensen threw the couch pillow under his arm at Jared, who just managed to save his beer from spilling everywhere. 

****

It was nearing on eight in the evening by the time she was done with everything with Ashley. The two chatted some more as she finished getting ready. The day had eased some of her anxiety about the miscommunication. 

She was headed back to her room when she received an incoming call from Abby. 

“Hey, it’s late. Everything okay?” She asked as she unlocked her door and headed into the dark room. 

“Great actually. Well I hope it’s great. You know the lawyers you liked a lot, they want to meet with you tomorrow for brunch.” Abby explained to her. Excitement bubbled inside her at the idea of finally getting new lawyers. She wouldn’t miss this for anything. 

“Brunch is perfect Abby. Tell them I will be there and email me all the details.” 

“Do you need me to book you a flight?” 

“No, I’m going to just pack up and head straight for the airport. If I’m lucky I’ll get a few hours of shut eye this time.” She was already shoving her things back into her suitcase as she spoke. The lawyers she had been looking at were picky about clients they took on. The clinic was made up of all women and they did some amazing pro-bono work that she was excited about. The small details mattered here. She would not make the same mistake as last time. 

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Abby could be heard typing away on her computer. 

“Thanks Abby, you rock.” She hung up and double checked she had everything before running down and checking out of the room. 

She had another hour back to the airport. When she arrived it was quieter than she had expected and she was easily able to change her flight to Vancouver over to Austin. It was set to leave in three hours so she had time to kill. She found a bar and ordered some dinner and a drink while she waited. 

When they finally boarded her flight, the lack of sleep was finally catching up to her. She plopped down in her seat and put her headphones in. Before she even knew what was happening, they were landing in Austin. 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader takes care of business in Austin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this is kind of a shorter one while we push the plot forward. Not gonna lie it is a little slow but we are getting to something here I promise. I am diligently working on the next part as much as I can with finals coming up, so hang in there with me please? Happy end of semester!

The clock was just rolling over five in the morning when she entered her apartment in the hill country of Austin. The exhaustion hadn’t really caught up with her until now. Sleeping on a plane works in a pinch, but it’s never satisfying. Now, her bed was only a few feet away, but she had promised herself a shower before she would crawl under her blankets. 

She took her time under the warm water, letting it wash away the last twenty-four hours and two plane rides. Her last shower had been rushed and she was happy to be able to take her time and to have all her normal products from her own bathroom. 

She tied her hair into two french braids and put on some pajamas before slipping into her bed. It felt like a cloud compared to what she had gotten used to. The spare bed in Jared’s apartment wasn’t the worst mattress to sleep on, but hers was specifically tailored to her needs. She nuzzled into her pillow for a few more hours of shut eye before she had to get ready for her meeting. 

When her alarm pulled her back to reality, she felt a little better, but she was not as refreshed as she was hoping she would be. She made quick work of getting ready as she had to stop by the office before making it to the restaurant. 

It felt good to be back in her element and driving her own car. She missed driving and knowing exactly where she was going. It gave her back her sense of freedom and control that she had felt slipping from her as of late. As much as she was loving being in Vancouver, she missed her home. Being back in Austin was making her excited for holiday break and spending time with her friends and family again. 

“Hey!” Abby had a smile on her face as she entered the office. 

“Hey, you have those papers for me?” She asked as she headed for her office. Abby picked up the files from her desk and followed after her. Being back in her office was strange after all this time. Nothing had changed about the white desk that sat in the center, or her art work on the walls. Even her fern was still alive and thriving in the corner. Her blinds were open, allowing the warm Texas sun to shine in and heat up her office just the way she liked. 

“I spoke with Karen yesterday and she is excited to meet with you. She did tell me, though, that she has another client she has to attend to at one so the meeting will be short. You have reservations at High Note at eleven thirty.” Abby read off her list of highlights she needed to run by her boss. Y/n made notes of her own as Abby spoke. 

“Great, I love High Note. Do me a favor please and send Gen and the kids a little treat. If they find out I was in town and didn’t stop by, Tom would never forgive me. At least this way, I’m still his favorite aunt.” She stood up, piling the files up in her hands to leave. “Oh, but not too much sugar, or then Gen will hate me. I will call her later to chat.” 

“Yes ma’am. It was good to see you, we miss having you in the office.” Abby was scribbling more notes as she followed her from her office. 

“I know, I miss you guys too. Won’t be much longer and I’ll be home for a few weeks.” She made sure she still had everything she needed. “Okay, wish me luck.”

“Good luck!”

****

“I really think this is going to make a good match.” Karen had relaxed in her chair, sipping on her coffee.

“I agree. I’m glad we are on the same page.” She agreed with Karen. “Perhaps this whole thing was for the best. I mean, it certainly could’ve been worse.” 

“Yes, it really could have. This is an amazing company you have built and you have a strong foundation. With us by your side, I truly believe the sky's the limit for Et Cetera.” Karen set down her now empty cup.

“That means a lot to me.”

“I am so glad, though, I’m sorry I have to cut this short, but I look forward to working with you. I will have my people work on a contract for Ashley first thing in the morning.” Both women stood and shook hands. 

“Thank you, good luck with your case.” She offered her new attorney as she left. The weight of the past two weeks had been lifted from her shoulders. It was time to start fresh, and she was optimistic about the new course Et Cetera was on. Karen was great at her job, and she knew Karen would take great care of her company. It was just one less thing for her to worry about when she got back to Vancouver. 

It was just getting back to Vancouver that was the problem now. A mini blizzard in Vancouver had delayed her flight by almost three hours. By the time her plane would land she would be needing to head to set. The extra hours in the airport seats had not been kind to her either. By the time her plane began boarding, her body ached from the stiff position she had been in. Her only light in the darkness was when her plane was finally in the air. She had bought some melatonin inside the airport before take off and took a few once she was seated. Having never tried it before, she hoped it would give her at least the few hours her body needed to function like a human. 

When she finally landed, she had managed a few restless hours. At least it was something she could work with until after she got off set. 

Clif had been sent for her again, the final light at the end of her exhausting tunnel this weekend. 

“Cuttin’ it a little close, eh?” He hugged her before taking her bag from her and putting it in the trunk. 

“Close isn’t late, and that’s all that matters.” She shrugged and climbed into the passenger seat. She buckled her belt and let the heater in the car warm her hands. 

“Big difference from Texas huh?” She jolted in her seat, whipping her head around to find Jared and Jensen in the back seat. 

“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.” 

“Clearly. Why didn’t you tell me you were going back to Austin too?” Jared asked. She bit her lip as Clif got in behind the wheel and set off towards set.

“It was last minute. I had to meet with an attorney I was looking at for my company.” She explained.

“Gen said you sent her some flowers and treats for the kids.” Jared mentioned. He knew it was her way of apologizing for not seeing her nephews and her niece. He also knew if she was apologizing, it most likely meant she was so busy she didn’t have a minute to stop by their home, which incidentally was on the way between her apartment and the airport. 

“Yeah, I didn’t have time to stop in.” She said nonchalant. 

“So that’s what, three planes in the last forty eight hours?” Jared asked, his brow furrowing as he mocked doing the math in his head. 

“And?” 

“We were just wondering when was the last time you slept?” Jensen spoke up this time. Her eyes flickered to him for a second before going back to her brother. Jared nodded as he waited for her answer. 

“I got a couple hours on the plane.” Her tone was defensive as she turned back towards the front of the car. 

“I just want to make sure you are taking care of yourself.” 

“Jared, I appreciate it I really do. It comes with the territory, you should know that better than anyone. You guys do it all the time on convention weekends. Besides, if I do it once every six months, I think I‘ll survive.” She was annoyed that Jared was already slipping back into his super protective big brother mode. And of course he had his sidekick hyping him up right next to him. 

“Okay, just know if it gets to be too much, you can tell me. I got you into this, I can get you out.” Jared put his hand on her shoulder. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and put her own hand on top of his. 

“Thanks Jare, I promise.” 

“Good now that we got that out of the way,” A huge smile spread across Jared’s face and she turned back to him, eyes narrowed. “We hear you think Jensen is really pretty.”

“Dude.” Jensen smacked Jared in the chest as the air rushed out of Y/n’s lungs. She had no idea that had been watching that live. Her eyes were wide as she tried to find something sarcastic to cover up the heat in her cheeks. Jensen turned his attention back on her, but she refused to meet his gaze.

“Uh, yeah me and every other breathing woman in the world.” It was the best she could come up with at the moment. She truly wished she had a blunt object to throw at her brother in this moment, but alas, her suitcase was in the trunk where Clif had put it. Jared laughed, his whole body shaking, as she turned around to the front. 

Her voice was barely audible as she grumbled. “You are so lucky we are in a moving vehicle right now.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader runs into an old acquaintance, but things don't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me through finals. I have one more this week and then I am headed home for the holidays. Let’s just say I’m excited to see the reaction to this one, so make sure you tell me how you feel! XO Alex  
(warnings: reader deals with anxiety in this part with a bit of detail)

“Do you need anything specific from the store while I’m out?” The keys jingled as she picked them up from the bowl on the counter. Jared looked up from his phone and opened his mouth to speak. “Besides candy. I’m not buying you sugar so you can be all hopped up on it when you get home. Gen would kill me if she had to take care of a fourth kid.” 

“That’s hurtful Y/n. Surely you know I’ve learned some self control in my old age.” Jared put his hand over his heart as he spoke. 

“That shit may work on Mom, but it won’t work on me.” She slipped her coat on and grabbed her purse.

“Fine, just make sure you grab some orange juice.” Jared huffed. She nodded as she headed for the door.

“Orange juice, extra pulp right?” She stopped as she pulled the door open and smiled back at her brother. He grabbed a banana from the island and threw it in her direction. She dodged it in time, the banana thumping loudly against the wall behind where her head just was. Her laughter could be heard all the way down the hallway as she retreated. 

Since arriving in Vancouver, she had found a favorite market to buy their groceries from. It was a small locally owned place that even in the dead of winter, somehow found fresh fruits and vegetables to display from local farmers. At least as local as they could find. Essentially, it was its own farmers market. Jared didn’t let her pay him rent, so her way around that was buying groceries for the apartment. 

The butcher handed her the salmon she had asked for and she tossed it into her cart. As she stepped backwards, her toes landed on someone else’s feet. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” She tripped a little as she righted herself, dropping her phone onto the floor. The guy leaned down and picked it up, offering it out to her as he stood back up. “Thanks,”

“No problem.” He lifted his head, and she immediately recognized the man. 

“Ben?” He had to be the last person she ever expected she would run into. Especially in a small market in south Vancouver. 

“Y/n? Wow, what a small world.” He smiled widely at her. The two shuffled awkwardly around the other customers. 

“It really is. How have you been?” She finally pushed her cart out of the way of other shoppers and Ben followed her. 

“Crazy, we are so understaffed right now that I’ve been picking up doubles almost everyday.” After no contact from Ben, she had given up on the idea of men in general. At least while she was in Vancouver. She had assumed Ben’s lack of contact had been because of her brother, which she would not have blamed him for. But now she had hope that just maybe it was work instead. 

“That’s ruff. Though I’m sure the money is nice.” She giggled as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Ben’s tongue darted across his lower lip, an action that reminded her of a certain someone. She shook away the thought, focusing on what he was saying. 

“It really is. I finally have the next few days off.”

“Nice. Do have big plans, I mean, besides probably sleeping?” She leaned against her cart, putting her hand on one hip. 

“Nope, how about you?” She shook her head. Jared had a few days off from set, so he was headed home to see his wife and children. However, she was still needed on set. They were filming odd off scenes with Jensen and extras on Monday and Tuesday. “Good. Hey, how would you care to finish that drink we were having? Maybe dinner too?” 

“I would like that.” She couldn’t hide the smile on her face as she thought that maybe this was meant to be. 

“How does Miku sound? Tomorrow at seven?” 

“I’ll be there.” 

“Great, see you then.” Ben leaned in and kissed her cheek much like she had that first night they met. She watched him walk off down the aisle, a giddiness in her chest. She had been certain that that train had left the station a long time ago. It was back on track now and with her brother out of town, there was no one left to ruin it for her. 

With a new lightness in her step, she was quick to finish her grocery run. She made it back in time to hide a treat for Jared in his carry on to find later. He gave her a tight hug as he ran out the door and back home to Texas, leaving her alone in his big apartment for the first time. The sudden silence hit her hard. Normally she would be welcoming it, but it seems her mind wouldn’t let her enjoy it at the moment. Since it had been a while since her last date, her anxiety began to flare up on her. All her negative thoughts were running rampant in her mind, flicking from one to the next before she could even focus properly on them, causing the butterflies in her stomach to go wild. 

She forced herself to take a few deep breaths to slow her rising heart rate. It proved harder than she had anticipated, and she really had to focus on it. After a moment, she no longer felt her heart was going to jump from her chest, and she turned on some music and set to distract herself with cleaning the apartment. And clean it she did. Every surface sparkled in the light after she was done with it. The apartment looked as though no one was currently living there. She even cleaned Jared’s bedroom and bathroom. By the time night had rolled around the corner, she had sufficiently worn herself out and she was hopeful that she staved off the anxiety so she would be able to catch some sleep tonight. 

Unfortunately, once her mind was no longer occupied, the thoughts began their creep back into her subconscious. It was time to pull out some of the coping techniques she had learned over the years. She set her phone on the charger and climbed into bed. Once she was comfortable under the covers, she closed her eyes and began a simple meditation. Focusing first on her breath, inhaling deeply and exhaling completely, she was able to shift her focus onto the rest of her body, letting every other thought drift from her mind. If one snuck back in, she would tell herself ‘it will all be okay’, like a mantra. 

_ Deep breath _

_ “It’ll all be okay.” _

_ Deep breath _

_ “It’ll all be okay.” _

The weight of her body sunk deeper into the mattress as her awareness of her body heightened. Before long, with all her efforts, she was fast asleep, her anxiety a problem for another day.

****

The next day consisted of much of the same activities. Mindless things to occupy her mind. She ran errands, anything she could think of doing. That meant she went ahead and got a jump start on her Christmas shopping. Having promised herself she wouldn’t do any of it until she got back to Austin because packing and bringing back those valuables would be too much of a hassle, she threw it all out the window today. She tried to focus on small things which would fit in her luggage easily, but she kept getting distracted by presents for her nieces and nephews. So, now she had a few items that she would have to get creative in stuffing into her suitcase. 

She sufficiently wasted enough time until four in the afternoon. As she made her way back to the apartment, she was surprised to find that the anxiety was not returning. It was dormant for the time being and she hoped it stayed that way. Once she was finally in the restaurant, she knew she would be fine, it was the buildup that was always her problem. As she made her way into her room, she hid her treasures in her closet before taking a shower. When she finally hopped out, she slipped on a robe and lounged about as she did her hair and makeup. Her closet was strewn about her room as she searched for something to wear. Simple would be best. It was just dinner, though she did kind of hope it could become more. 

Thats where half her anxiety lie, in the idea of Ben becoming something more. When she met him that first night, he just needed to be Mr. Right Now, not Mr. Right. Now, they were going on an actual date. That meant talking and getting to know each other, and damn, did he seem like a really great guy. She couldn’t help but wonder about the ‘what if’s. 

Finally, she settled on a pair of black jeans and a blouse that was cut just low enough to show off her ample cleavage, but not so low that she felt like she was falling out of it. The material was silky and flowing and matched the gold tone in the heeled booties she had picked out. She examined her finished look in the mirror, feeling her confidence rise back up. No one could say she didn’t look damn good and she felt even better.

She grabbed an uber out to the restaurant out on the bay. It was one of the best sushi places in Vancouver that she had yet to try. When she walked inside, the lights from the city were reflecting off the water outside the large windows, casting a nice warm glow inside the place. She told the hostess she was waiting for someone and she showed her to the bar. Y/n ordered a glass of sweet Riesling from the bartender and relaxed against the bar. The place was bustling with people this Saturday night. She sipped on her wine as she kept her focus on the front door, waiting for Ben and people watching. 

“Do you want to order any food?” The bartender came back to her, a small note pad in her hand as she waited for her answer. 

“Um, no. I’m waiting for someone, thank you.” She replied. The bartender looked at her watch and then back up at Y/n. 

“You’ve been here for half an hour already.” The bartender’s tone was gentle as she questioned her. Y/n looked up at the clock on the far wall. Sure enough it was almost seven thirty, she shook her head, not realizing she had been here for that long.

“I was a little early.” She lied. “Can I get another?” She held up her empty glass and the bartender nodded before walking away. She pulled out her phone and checked for any missed messages. She had nothing from Ben and since they had never actually texted each other, she didn’t even have his number to message him. Half an hour was late, but she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. He lived a busy life and it was possible something had come up. When the bartender set down her second glass of wine, she decided if he wasn’t here or if she hadn’t heard from him before she finished it she would go. 

That moment came and went with another half hour on the clock. Y/n flagged down the different bartender that had since taken over. “Can I please get something stronger? An old fashioned please?” 

“Date never showed?” The bartender pulled out a glass and began pouring the whiskey.

“Was it the drink order or do I just look that pathetic?” Y/n frowned and folded her arms on the bar top. 

“Oh, honey, you do not look pathetic.” The bartender dropped the orange peel in the glass and set it on the bar for Y/n. 

“Right,” She grumbled before downing half of her drink. The bartender started another for her immediately. Her next words came out before she could stop them. Two drink Y/n was a talker. “This was my first date in months,  _ months _ ,” she drew out the word. “And the guy doesn’t even show. No text, nothing. What does that say about me?”

“You deserve better than him. Just give it time, the right guy will come along.” She promised. “This one’s on me.” The bartender set the second drink up on the bar. Y/n nodded her chin in thanks and asked if she could get the chef’s special. The bartender wrote her up a ticket and headed off to help others at the bar. 

The last thing she wanted was a pep talk from a stranger. Right now, that charismatic bubbly antidote about how the ‘right guy was just around the corner’ or ‘you’ll find love someday’. She wanted to be pissy about it and for someone to back her up. It was the stupidest thing to even be upset about. Her whole life had never revolved around men, they had always just been a secondary character. She was the author of her story and everything she had built had been done by her and her only. This is why she didn’t go on dates, they only ended in misfortune. 

As she ate her dinner, she couldn’t help but think about how she should have listened to her brother. He was clearly a better judge of character than she was. A fact which pissed her off even more than she already was. Should she just give up control of her love life to Jared? They could even get Jeff involved. Why the hell not at this point? Arranged marriages or selling your daughter for three goats, she was beginning to think they had the right idea back in the day. She didn’t care if she never dated again. It wasn’t worth it because her value wasn’t dependent on a man and if she was only ever going to feel like shit after, it was not worth her time. 

After her plate was empty she paid her tab, squared her shoulders, and walked out of there with her head held high. Her sole focus was now her brand and her company. As of now, she was sworn off of men. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader joins the cast a crew on a night out in Vancouver before everyone heads home for the holidays, though she would rather be anywhere else. Luckily, there is someone there to help lift her spirits. Later, Jensen and Jared have an eye opening conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really excited for you guys to read this one and to see all of your reactions. It marks our first turning point in the story in a way that you my not expect, so please please let me know what you liked about it! XO Alex

The snow had begun falling around four in the afternoon, creating a blanket of white on the set. Though, it had yet to deter the cast and crew from finishing their final scene. Everyone was ready to break for the holidays and a little bit of snow was not going to delay that. It was however, bitterly cold, and though there were sides to the tent that the hair and makeup crew were currently huddled under, everyone was bundled up with multiple layers. Even the crew members who were used to the cold that winter brings in Canada were hidden behind scarves and hoods. 

Trish made her way across the tent and sat herself down in the seat next to Y/n. “Some of the crew decided to get together and grab some drinks tonight. One last hoorah before everyone heads home for Christmas. The boys and Briana will be there too. You down?” Trish asked her.

The lower half of Y/n’s face was buried inside her scarf. Her hood was obscuring the rest, effectively creating a semi secure heat bubble inside her coat. She tipped it off her head and looked over at Trish.

“Eh, I’m not sure.” Heading to a crowded bar sounded like the exact opposite of what she wanted to be doing right now. As much as she had grown to love the crew on this show, she was looking forward to getting out of here and for a good night’s rest before heading home tomorrow. Not to mention, she had barely had enough social energy to get through the workday this week, let alone a crowded bar on a Friday night. Ben’s ‘no show’ had affected her more than she expected and would ever care to admit. Apparently, no amount of confidence could protect her from the sheer humiliation of being stood up. 

“Aw come on. You haven’t been out since your brother crashed our girls night. If you are worried about Jared, I’ll take care of him.” Trish assured her as she pouted. Y/n contemplated Trish’s offer. She didn’t want to be the only one that didn’t attend, and maybe a few drinks with friends was just what she needed to lift this funk that Ben had cast over her. If anything else, she could get drunk enough to forget it. 

“It would be a miracle if you could reign in my moose of a brother. I think only Gen and Clif posses that special power. But you can try.” She sighed. “I’ll be there.”

Trish squealed in excitement at her agreement. “You won’t regret it, I promise.” 

****

The bar was bursting at the seams with customers when her and Jared pulled up. Most of the rest of the cast and crew were already inside and drinking. Jared would deny it to the ends of the Earth, but he had been the one holding up their departure and subsequently making them the last to arrive. The man spent more time getting ready than any other person she had ever met. Even a full face of makeup and hair had taken less time for her to complete than whatever it was he did in the bathroom. Yet, while he managed to be the biggest diva in their family, the man still owned every pair of crusty basketball shorts he had in college, and he wore them outside of his home, much to their family’s chagrin. 

Y/n followed Jared over to their friends, staying quiet in the background. If she had any hope of engaging in the festivities, she was going to need alcohol, and fast. Thankfully, her brother seemed to be reading her mind. 

“You want a drink Y/n/n?” Jared turned to her as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. She nodded emphatically and he headed off towards the bar. She watched him disappear into the crowd of people before turning back to the table. 

“Look who finally decided to come out of her cave.” Briana joked as she leaned against the table. Briana and Y/n had quickly become close friends in her few days on set. The woman was a force that demanded not to be ignored and Y/n was instantly attracted to it. Their personalities meshed so seamlessly and they felt like old friends in no time. It was just another one of the endless perks of entering into the Supernatural family, finding new friends for life. 

“I had to practically beg her to come out. After last time, she doesn’t trust her brother not to hover over her shoulder.” Trish giggled. She noticed the slight blush on Trish’s cheeks and couldn’t help but wonder how many drinks she had had already. 

“Ah, Trish, you said that, not me.” Y/n argued.

“But you didn’t disagree.” 

“I’ll punch him if you want me to.” Briana interjected, smacking her left fist into her right palm. She had a wicked smile on her face, her tongue resting in the corner of her red painted lips. 

“Let’s just see where the night takes us first. Though, I may just take you up on that offer, simply so I can see the look on his face when you do it.” She laughed along with the rest of the crowd. 

Jared was back at their table then, handing his sister her usual drink. Jensen was with him this time. She wondered if he had just arrived as well or if he had been at the bar. She hadn’t noticed him when they came in, but that didn’t mean anything. She was just happy to see him joining the festivities. 

The group fell into conversation once everyone was around the table. They were easily the largest and loudest group in the whole place. A fact which Y/n was thankful for. It gave her a greater opportunity to shrink into the background. She remained quiet, only really talking when spoken to. Her first drink was doing little to have any effect on her quite yet and she was more than happy hanging out in the shadows of their party. It was something that she had gotten good at over the years. It is easier to not be seen than people think, whether intentional or not.

When her first drink was down to the final sip, she excused herself to the bar for a second, not that anyone acknowledged her departure. She hopped up onto an empty stool as she waited for the bartender to pour her another. The people around her were all deep into their own little worlds, much like her friends. She was hoping that more alcohol would help her to finally let loose and join in on the fun, but at this point, her first had no effect, and she was not optimistic for her second. 

When the bartender handed her a new drink, she decided to stay where she was. If someone noticed she had slipped away, they would come to find her. For now, she could wallow in her melancholy without having to put on a face, even if it was a weak one, for those at the table. 

Her glass was almost empty again when someone spoke up next to her. “Of all the women here tonight, how are you the one who is sitting by herself?” She glanced up as a handsome guy sat in the empty stool to her right. If it had been any other night, she would have jumped all over that, bad pick up line regardless, but even the idea of a good roll in the hay seemed too exhausting to her. No, scratch that, men in general sounded exhausting to her. Besides, she had already swore off men for the foreseeable future and she intended to stick to that decision, no matter how attractive they may be. 

“Eh, I don’t know about that.” She turned back to the glass in her hand and downed the last of it. 

“Why is that?” He asked, one of his eyebrows cocking up. It reminded her of the look Jensen would give her when he was trying to decipher whether or not she was messing with him or not. To bad for him, her sarcasm had reached a level that even she didn’t know if she was serious or not some of the time. Still, it would always accompany a small snicker from him when he could no longer keep a straight face, and she enjoyed more than she should. 

“I chose to be sitting here alone. Not really in the mood to be social tonight.” She was trying her hardest to get her point across without being rude. It wasn’t this guy’s fault that all the men she had ever interacted with had turned into absolute trash bags. For all she knew, he meant well. Though, it did seem more likely he was just trying to get laid. That being said, she would save the asshole comments in her head for when the guy inevitably doesn’t pick up her mood. 

“So why come out?”  _ Okay, hard way it is _ . She opened her mouth to tell him to screw off when she noticed Jensen appear by her side. 

“Y/n? Is that you?” Jensen cocked his head, a surprised expression across his face as he approached her. He opened his arms wide and engulfed her in a tight hug. Her arms slowly hugged him back as her confused mind tried to make sense of what he was doing. As Jensen pulled away from her, she noticed the guy who had sat down next to her sulking away into the crowd, and then it hit her. Jensen sat down in his place, a smug smile on his lips and she couldn’t help but giggle at him. 

“Sounded like the guy wasn’t going to take the hint.” He noted as he took a drink from the whiskey in his hand, his tongue darting out to catch a droplet left behind in the corner of his mouth. 

“No, he really wasn’t. Thank you, though I could’ve handled him.” She turned her body back towards the bar, her fingers playing with the condensation on her glass. 

“I know,” He paused, continuing when she didn’t look back up at him. “You want another drink?” He asked as he waved to the bartender. He made himself more comfortable in his seat, his body turned towards her, supporting his weight with his forearm on the bar. 

“I’m good.” 

“Come on, you’re not driving.” He teased her with a gentle shove to her shoulder, the crinkles forming in the corners of his eyes as he smiled. 

“You’ve got me there.” She admitted. The bartender came over and Jensen ordered a double along with another one of her usuals. 

“Throw it on my tab, Carl.” Jensen handed the guy a tip and turned his attention back to her. Her eyes scanned over his face, taking in the slight flush that now adorn his cheeks. Jensen always had this relaxed aura to him. It was something that had attracted her to him in the first place, the feeling only intensifying as she grew to know him better. Now, with the whiskey flowing through his system, that relaxation was on a whole other level she had yet to see at it was dragging her along for the ride. Her shoulders fell as she smiled back at him. 

“You didn’t have to do that. I could’ve bought my own drink.” As much as she appreciated his kind gesture, she had only purchased one of her three drinks this night. 

“S’okay, I wanted to.” He downed the rest of his glass and set it up on the table. Jensen stuck two fingers into the bowl of peanuts on the bar and fished out a couple. 

“Well, in that case, thank you.” She watched him as he cracked the shell and popped the insides into his mouth. 

“So, do you want to talk about it?” He dumped the empty peanut shells into his old glass and brushed the salt from his fingers. His full attention was on her as she tried to understand what he meant. 

“Talk about what?”

“Whatever is on your mind?” He mouthed a small ‘thank you’ to Carl as he set down their drinks. His eyes flickered away from her for half a second before she had his full attention once more. 

“I’m not sure I know what you are talking about.” She took a sip of her drink. She wasn’t being coy. He was going to have to be more specific if he wanted to know what was on her mind. It would be a shorter list to tell him what wasn’t on her mind. 

“Come on Y/n. You left the table for a drink, like, thirty minutes ago and never came back. Not to mention you’ve barely said four words to anybody unprompted.” He turned his body fully towards the bar, resting his weight on both his forearms. 

“God, you’re observant.” She huffed before downing a hefty drink of her alcohol. He was still staring, waiting for her to continue. “I mean, I’m fine, mostly. Just... drained. Not in the mood to mingle.”

“So why did you join us?” He asked with genuine curiosity.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess I was hopeful that coming out would change my mood. Didn’t exactly work like I planned, though.” Jensen nodded, glancing back at the glass between his hands. He had been there a few times himself. It wasn’t uncommon for him to feel drained emotionally and physically, especially as an actor. 

“You’ve been running on fumes for a while now, huh?” Jensen turned back towards her, his brows furrowed. He set his mouth, the dimples she loved to see forming in the corners. His look of concern tugged on her heart. Jensen was the greatest guy. He sincerely cared for everyone around him and he showed it with his actions. She had never met someone so genuine, except maybe her brother. 

“I guess I have. It’ll all be worth it in the end. Besides, I just need a little time to decompress. I’ll be fine by the time we come back after the holidays.” She waved him off with a noncommittal excuse. 

“I'm not buying it,” Jensen cocked his head at her. He knew she had been stressed since the moment she set foot in that makeup trailer. He had seen her deal with quite a lot in the past few months, but had never seen her as down as she was now. She didn’t stop for anybody or anything. Whatever was eating at her now was something he hadn’t seen before and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. “Don’t get me wrong, I'm sure that’s part of it, but there is something else going on.” 

“I really hate you sometimes you know that?” She weighed telling him what else was on her mind, mostly because she didn’t want to admit it to herself. After all this time, she was sure she was passed being this shy, bullied, little girl that cared so much about what other people thought. Ben didn’t matter, and she would be damned if she let him have a larger impact in her life than he deserved. Sometimes though, there is no shutting up that nagging voice in the back of your head telling you that you aren’t good enough. 

“Sure, I’m used to it.” He smiled. 

“You want the truth?” He nodded and waited for her, his eyes wide as she downed the last of her drink in one go. “I’m tired of fighting that voice in my head that tells me I’m not good enough.” 

“Y/n, who has ever told you that you aren’t good enough?” 

“Thousands of people on the internet. YouTube, Instagram, and in reviews on my website. Ben-“ 

“Who’s Ben?” He cut her off. 

“Uh, that guy from the bar last month.” She shook her head, trying to focus back on Jensen after slipping into a small rant. 

“What exactly did he say to you?” Jensen’s voice turned dangerous with his question.

“He didn’t have to say anything.” She waved to the bartender to catch his attention. She had said if being with her friends didn’t lift her mood, at least she could get drunk. And that was exactly what she intended on doing now that Jensen inadvertently pushed her back into that headspace. It wasn’t his fault, he had no way of knowing the can of worms he was opening up. Her eyes fluttered closed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose with two fingers before continuing. “I think him never showing for our date said everything for him.”

“Y/n,” Jensen started. She didn’t want to hear it so she cut him off, rubbing a finger over her brow. 

“Please, don’t say it.”

“Don’t say what?”

“I don’t know… that he’s an idiot, that I deserve better and he doesn’t know what he’s missing. Or- or that I’ll find someone, there’s plenty of fish in the sea. Any of that crap. It’s all bullshit anyway.” The last thing she wanted was a pity party from Jensen. She couldn’t handle it, not right now. 

“I wasn’t gonna say that.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I was gonna say he’s a dick.” 

She couldn’t help the small smile that graced her lips at his comment. “Okay, Dean.” Jensen chuckled at her, forgetting how sometimes how big a fan of their show she really was. 

“Seriously though, it’s a straight dick move. I think you dodged a bullet, personally. You don’t want some beef head that thinks he can treat women like trash.” Jensen watched her bite her lip, as she considered his words. 

“Beef head?”

“Yeah I saw the dude. He’s obviously obsessed with taking selfies of his arms at the gym and posting them online. Plus, he also clearly skips leg day.” She threw her head back, laughing at his acute observation. Jensen joined in with her, both of them snickering at Ben’s expense.

“Thanks Jay.” Hearing Jensen call anyone a beef head had been an experience in of itself, but the fact that it was directed at Ben made it all that much better.

“Anytime, really. Say the word and I unleash some of my best Winchester moves on him.” He faked a karate chop, his face serious for a moment before falling into a wide smile as she threw her head back and laughed at him even harder than before. She was thankful that he had chosen to sit in the empty seat next to her now. Her heart felt lightened as she examined the crinkles by his eyes as he smiled brightly. 

“Who’s ass are you not kicking?” Jared asked as he appeared next to Jensen. Both Jensen and Y/n froze, all amusement gone from their expressions at her brother’s sudden appearance. Jensen’s eyes flickered to Y/n who shook her head at him. 

“Just... anyone who thinks about stealing my whiskey.” Jensen picked up his glass, his seamless lie slipping past Jared. Jared shook his head at his friend. 

“Maybe you’ve had enough tonight?” Jared joked and Jensen just shrugged. “Hey, can I steal Jay for a second?” Jared turned his attention to his sister then.

“He’s your friend not mine.” She waved her hand at the two of them. Not that she actually wanted him to take Jay away. Talking to him was the best she had felt all week, but she couldn’t exactly monopolize his time. Jensen patted her shoulder before following Jared back into the crowd of people. Jared guided him towards the restrooms, pulling him off into the empty corner by an old phone booth that no longer held a pay phone. 

“What’s up?” Jensen asked as he scanned Jared for any clue as to why they were huddled in a dark corner. Jared’s lips were set into a thin line as he decided on how to start. 

“You and Y/n have gotten close.” He noted.

“Yeah, I guess.” Jensen shrugged, unsure of where he was headed with this. 

“Well, knock it off.” Jensen shook his head, blinking repeatedly as Jared’s blunt words hit him. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“All the flirting and buying her drinks, that stops.” Jared swiped his arm out in front himself. His eyebrows were raised as he stared back at Jensen. 

“Flirting?” Jared’s words had him taken aback. “How much have you had to drink, dude? I am not flirting with your little sister.” Jensen tried to pluck the drink from Jared’s hand but he pulled it from his reach. Both men frowned at each other, Jared unwilling to believe the words that Jensen fully believed when he uttered them. But as the men stared at each other, Jared’s words continued to bounce around in Jensen’s head and he realized that maybe he had been flirting with Y/n. Not on purpose, no, but Y/n was one of the easiest people to talk to. Not to mention she never failed to put him on his ass with her snarky comebacks and crazy antics. He couldn’t keep up with the woman. Just when he thought he had her pinned down, she would change the script on him. Maybe that’s what had subconsciously drawn him to her. She was so much like her brother in so many ways, which frankly was kind of a creepy way of putting it, but Jared was his best friend, why wouldn’t he be drawn to someone that was so much like him. 

_ Oh crap... _

“I know you Jay, and I also know how long my sister has had a thing for you. But you two can’t happen. You’re like a brother to me. It’s too weird.” Jensen heard what Jared was saying, loud and clear. He had a more than valid point. Y/n had always felt like a little sister to him too, but now, now something had snapped inside him. It was like Jared had clapped his hands frantically in front of his face and woken him from some hazy daydream. All he could focus on was the way she had thrown her head back when he had gotten her to laugh, or how much her laugh had made chest tighten because it had been awhile since he had last heard it. He tried not to think about how the outfit she was wearing tonight accentuated every curve of her body, highlighting every perfect angle of her. It seemed with every passing thought of Y/n, Jared’s little ‘off limits’ speech had done the exact opposite of what he had intended. Jensen felt like an awful friend, thinking about Jared’s sister in that way, but here we were, and the last thought on his mind was how soft her lips would feel against his own. 

“Don’t worry, I have never looked at you sister in that way.” Jensen patted his friend on the shoulder and left him in the corner of the bar. He had to get away from this situation, he had to get his thoughts together.

Jensen sighed heavily and downed the last of his whiskey as he slipped away into the crowd. “Until now.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader spends Christmas with her family in San Antonio, but what is a family holiday without your parents questioning your entire life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, I have no idea the ages of Jeff's kids so.... I took some artistic liberties with this one.

Her heart beat could be felt in her head when she woke the next morning. It had been a while since she’d had that much to drink in one night. Her age was beginning to catch up to her, that much was obvious from the cotton dry feeling in her mouth and the way her body ached as she rolled over in bed. 

At least, they were due to be back in Austin today until the New Year. Her and Jared had different flights and he was likely to already be gone as she rolled out of bed. She put on her comfiest clothes for the plane and packed up all her last minute essentials in time for Clif to be knocking on the door. 

“Do you and the wife have big plans for the holiday?” She asked him as they made their way to the airport. 

“Yeah, we’re headed somewhere nice and warm.” Clif nodded. 

“Take me with you? Apparently it’s barely above freezing in Austin. Not exactly what I was hoping for.” She grabbed his arm with both hands, jutting out her lower lip like a toddler. 

“Wish I could kid. I don’t think Jared would be too happy with me though.”

“Damn our healthy sibling relationship.” She grumbled as she released his arm. “Ah, guess it’s for the best. I hate being the third wheel anyway.”

“I think if you came with us, my old lady would end up making me the third wheel while you two do your girl things.” Clif was pulling up to airport drop off as he laughed at his own joke. The two of them climbed out of the car and Clif pulled her suitcase from the trunk. 

“You’re probably right. Thanks as always Clif. Merry Christmas!” She hugged him tightly. 

“Merry Christmas, kid.” He waved her off as she ran inside. Airports were quickly becoming like a second home to her. She had flown more in the last two months than in the last two years combined. The insane part was, it had done nothing to ease her anxiety around them. Though, she had gotten better at controlling it. 

It was midday by the time she finally landed in Austin. The sun was shining high in the sky as she made her way from the South terminal. It was busy with holiday travelers but she was able to find her luggage easily before running off to the rides hare pickup. 

The ride to her apartment was quiet and the traffic was manageable. Once she was inside, she noticed that she needed to clean the place up. Dust had collected in her absence on her wooden surfaces and dust bunnies collected under her furniture. She unpacked and got to work, just happy to be home again. The next two weeks would hopefully be just what she needed to release some of her pent up emotions. 

****

The next week had her in and out of the office. Her whole team was working double time to get out their new collection for the new year. Time flew by so quickly she barely had time to enjoy the company Christmas party. Being the boss meant that she didn’t ever stop putting out fires. But, she was proud to announce to her team that they had earned some extra time off this holiday season. Her team had put in such dedicated and amazing work that it had been decided that they would receive two weeks off for the holidays. None of them were set to return to work until the new year. It was the best present she could think to give to such a hardworking group. 

Her employees consisted of most of her contact with people over that week as well. She had only had a chance to hear from her mother, and that conversation only consisted of her mother wondering what dish she was bringing to Christmas. She had won the rights to desert, so she would be supplying the pie for the whole family. 

They pies were cooling on her counter as she packed a bag for San Antonio. The whole family had rented a large cabin to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together. It had been a while since the whole family had gotten together for a holiday. It never worked out so perfectly for everybody since they had all grown up. This Christmas was going to be like old times, before Jeff and Jared had gotten married and had kids. Only now was going to be better, because their family had grown so much over the years and she couldn’t wait to spoil her nieces and nephews. That’s what the fun Aunt is for after all. 

By the time she hit the road, she was already almost an hour behind Jared and Gen. Jeff and his wife and kids were already there and having dinner with her parents. Unfortunately, she would be the last to arrive. The pies had taken her longer then anticipated to bake, setting her back almost two hours. What mattered the most was that she would even make it there at all.

When she pulled up to the location, a flurry of people came rushing out of the cabin. She barely had time to even open her door before she was being tackled by small children. 

“Okay, come on, let up on Aunt Y/n guys. Let’s let her at least get inside before we tackle her to the ground.” Jeff was laughing as he jogged down the stairs towards her. He grabbed Simone and placed her on his hip before giving Y/n a side hug. 

“Missed you, smalls.”

“I missed y’all too.” She returned the sentiment as she tapped the tops of all the kids heads. They giggled and dispersed as the rest of the crew made their way over. Genevieve called after her boys not to run off too far, which naturally, they ignored. Y/n exchanged hugs with everyone as they made their way to her. Jared grabbed her bag and her mom grabbed the pies. Y/n got her bag of gifts and they all headed inside. 

“So, I hear you sent Gen and the kids a little treat a few weeks ago…” Jeff trialed off, his eyebrows raised at his sister. She huffed as she set the bag down by the large tree near the fireplace. 

“Oh, come on, don’t give me that. I know you guys weren’t home on that day. It was clearly a bribe so they would forgive me for not stopping by. There was no reason to bribe you.” She shimmied out of her coat and hung it over the back of a chair as she defended herself. 

“I will always take bribes, Y/n/n. As will the kids. Kids are the easiest to bribe, in fact.” Jeff handed his daughter off to his wife as she appeared next to him. 

“Would you lay off your sister, hon. You know Jared’s always been her favorite.” Y/n groaned as the two of them laughed. It wasn’t that Veronique was wrong, she had always been closer to Jared growing up. They were closer in age and though neither Jeff nor Jared enjoyed their younger sister pestering them, Jared still managed to make her feel included in whatever it was she wanted to be a part of. All of that was in the past now though. With all of them adults now, her brothers and her were closer than ever, but Jeff still loved to tease her about how close she was with Jared whenever he could. 

“I hate you both.” She pointed between the two of them before stalking off towards the kitchen. “Ma! Where is the alcohol?” She called as she entered the room. Her mother was putting the pies out of reach of seven sets of grabby hands as she walked around the island. It was covered with freshly decorated sugar cookies in all different Christmas shapes. 

“Starting already?” Her mother teased as she pulled the eggnog from the fridge and poured her daughter a glass. 

“Uh, tell that to Jeff, he started it.” She took the cup from her mother and took a sip. The beverage tasted like it was nearly all rum and she knew that Jared had mixed the batch instantly. She didn’t even fight the cough that erupted inside her as the rum burned down her throat. 

“Wow, we get you all back into the same room and suddenly you’re all ten again.” Her mom crossed her arms over her chest, an amused smile on her lips. 

“Pretty much.” She agreed. 

“Well, now that you are here, I left a present on your bed. Go get changed quick because the kids want to watch The Grinch.” Her mother turned her around by the shoulders and shoved her towards the staircase. 

“Please tell me it’s matching pajamas for the whole family.” Y/n turned back to her mother, her hands folded together in front of her around the glass of eggnog. 

“Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise now would I?” Y/n squealed internally because that meant she was right. Her feet carried her quickly up the stairs and she searched for her room. When she finally found the one with her bag in it, there was a pair of red and white striped pajamas on the bed waiting for her. 

For the past three weeks she had been begging her family to be super cheesy and do matching pajamas, but her brothers had been reluctant. Not sure what had changed their minds, she realized she didn’t actually care. She changed quickly and slipped on a pair of slippers before running back down to the media room. Everyone else was just coming down too, clad in the same pajama set that she was. Even her father. 

“I love you guys so much!” She ran up between her brothers and squeezed them into her. 

“Alright, alright. Mom was on our asses so you can thank her.” Jared shoved her off his shoulder.

“You love it. Don’t lie.” She pinched Jared’s cheek and skipped off towards the little ones. She picked up Odette and turned back towards everyone. “This calls for a family photo!” 

A chorus of groans could be heard from the men, but all the women agreed it was the perfect opportunity for a real family photo. Y/n set up her phone on the mantle, making sure it had the perfect angle and then directed everyone into a huddle. 

“Okay, I have the timer set and it’s going to take like, ten photos because I know we will need at least that to get everyone looking at the camera. Get ready.” She hit the button and ran into her spot in the front, Odette still in her arms as she turned to face the camera. Everyone worked to get all the kids looking at the camera. It was a mad house and she just hoped that they had gotten at least one good shot. She put Odette down and went to check out the shots. Surprisingly, they had a few photos where everyone was looking where they needed to be. 

The family settled into the couches as her dad put in the movie. Tom came over and settled next to her on the pile of blankets on the floor. He was followed by the rest of the little ones and she quickly became the base for a dog pile of tired children. She didn’t mind it one bit. This was her happy place, surrounded by her loved ones and simply enjoying the moment. They had become far a few between nowadays and she had learned to treasure every one. 

She filtered through the photos and picked her favorites to post to Instagram. They were mostly sequential, the final one with all of them looking at the camera. Her caption read ‘It’s hard enough to get one kid to look at a camera, let alone seven. And yes, the matching pjs were my idea’. She tagged Jared and Gen before tucking her phone away and cuddling up with the little monsters around her. 

Their pile on the ground was surprisingly comfortable. And warm. Though, that could have been all the rum in her system. As the movie played in the background, she drifted off to sleep along with a few of the kids. It was Jared plucking his daughter from her arms that had her eyes fluttering open. 

“Ah, look who decided to wake up.” He teased, his voice low so as to not wake the sleeping one in his arms. 

“That was the best nap I’ve had in a long time.” She yawned and stretched out her limbs. “You’ll need to lend me your kids more often.” 

“Gladly.” Gen piped up from behind the couch. “But, I promise you, you won’t be sleeping.”

“Yeah yeah, I’ll see y’all in the morning. Good night.” She waved to them as she skirted past and headed up to her room. The kids would no doubt be up at the ass crack of dawn, and after her little snooze, she wanted nothing more than to knock out for the next twelve hours. But alas, six or seven would have to do. 

The covers were cool as she climbed into them, a stark contrast from all the bodies that had just been tucked next to her. It was welcoming, and she quickly drifted off. 

****

Her hypothesis of an early morning was proven by twelve little hands tugging her warm blankets from her bed and six little bodies leaping onto her at once. 

“Aunt Y/n! Santa was here!” Henry put his face right up into hers, his tiny hands pulling her hair from her face.

“Papa and Nana said we can’t open presents until everyone is up.” Oliver added from his position by her hip. Y/n rolled over, one eye open to peer at the children around her. She groaned to find that Juliette was the only one that had not joined their little mission.

“Tom, you betrayed me too?” She cocked an eyebrow at the young boy who was getting old enough that being a part of his younger siblings games was child’s play to him. It seems Christmas had gotten the better of him this time as he nodded at her with a small smile. “Please tell me you at least woke everyone else in the house up like this.”

“We did.” Shep assured her.

“Well then, I guess it’s present time!” She yelled and all the kids squealed in excitement, dispersing from the room at an alarming rate. She worried one of them may get trampled on their way back downstairs, but that felt like a problem for someone else. 

She rolled out of the bed and put on her robe and slippers before heading down into the living room. Her mother was sorting through all the gifts underneath the tree as her siblings fought to keep some semblance of control over their kids. 

“Ah, Y/n, I have coffee for you!” Gen held up an oversized mug above her head. As she got closer, she could make out the inscription written in gold calligraphy. It read ‘ _ Of course size matters, no one wants a small cup of coffee _ ’. 

“Genevieve Padalecki, you just get me.” She laughed as she took the coffee from her sister in law.

“Merry Christmas.” Gen offered her back. Y/n sunk into the end of the couch next to Jared. She was perfectly content if the mug in her hand was the only gift she received today. Giving gifts had always been more of her thing. She loved to see people’s reactions when they opened whatever it was that she had gotten or made from them, especially her nieces and nephews. There was nothing better than a child’s joy from opening a present. But alas, she did get a few more gifts that day. Gen had pulled her for the presents drawing amongst the adults, the coffee mug her gift including a year long subscription that sent her different coffees from around the world, but her parents had also gotten her a beautiful set of gold earrings with a matching necklace and her Goddaughter Odette had gotten her another charm to add to the bracelet that she had given her on her first Christmas. 

Once all the presents were open and the kids were occupied by their new toys, Y/n slipped away for a quick shower before she would have to help her mother with preparations for dinner. The smell of cooking ham could be smelled the second she hit the landing to the stairs and she followed it into the kitchen. 

“Smells amazing, momma.” She noted as she came into the kitchen. 

“Don’t worry, I have some stuffed portabellas in the oven for you too.” Her mother said without even looking up at her.

“What? I didn’t even say anything besides ‘it smells good in here’.” She had her hands out, unclear of where the snark from her mother was coming from.

“Yeah, and I know what your next question was going to be.” Her mother pointed the knife in her hand towards her in accusation. 

“That’s hurtful, Mama.” She frowned. Her mother wasn’t wrong though. She had full faith she would have made her something other than just green bean casserole and roasted potatoes, but she wanted to know what that was. Every holiday it is something different and she was thankful that her mother never failed to accommodate her diet restrictions. 

“Yeah yeah, why don’t you start cutting up the potatoes for me?” 

“Aye aye, captain.” Y/n saluted her mother and went in search of a knife and cutting board. Gen and Veronique joined them soon after. Each one had their own side dish they were preparing, and as the pies for later just needed to be warmed up, Y/n was put on potato duty and setting the table. They chatted and danced around each other in the kitchen, kicking out any man or child that dared to try and mess up their flow. 

“Soups on!” Sharon called out to the house as she set the ham down in the center of the large dining table. The had to get creative with seats for the kids. The oldests had their own seats and the others were on laps. Y/n got Odette, not that she minded. She had mastered the art of eating one handed. Once the mushrooms on her plate were cut up it was no problem. 

“Pass the whiskey please?” Y/n nudged Jared next to her, catching the frown on her mother’s face across the table. She poured herself a double and tried to ignore her. 

“So, how has Vancouver been Y/n/n?” Her mother broke her silence. Y/n took a deep breath, knowing where her mother was headed with this conversation the second she had seen that look on her face. 

“Crazy, I haven’t had much time to breath, but it’s also been amazing. Everyone is super nice and welcoming, well besides Jared.” Jared frowned at her and she shoved his shoulder. 

“Well, that’s good to hear. And how are other things?” Her mother pushed further.

“Um, I guess business is good, now that we have sorted everything out. Our preorders for our new release is double what we thought they were going to be so they are going to be working double time when we get back at it to make sure we don’t sell out. I’m not a Kardashian after all.” Y/n laughed at her little joke, but the lack of laughter from the rest of the table told her she was the only one who had understood it.

“What about guys? Have you met anyone since you’ve moved to a different country?” Y/n groaned internally. There it was, lobed up and thrown full force at her. Her mother had steered clear of the topic of men over Thanksgiving, probably because they had friends at the table, but she should have known she would not skate past Christmas that lucky. 

“Mom, come on. Can’t we just have one family dinner that doesn’t end with you asking about my love life? If I was seeing anyone important I would tell you.” 

“Honey, I just care about you. I want you to be happy.” Her mother’s voice rose in her own defense.

“I am happy, mostly. I’m doing what I love and I own a successful business. Hell, I flew to New York last month and spent the evening with Ashley Green! My one idol since forever.” Her attempts to get her mother to see her point seemed to be flying right over everyone’s heads. The others around the table had grown uncomfortable with the current conversation and were doing all they could to not make eye contact that could possibly get them drawn into the fight. 

“I know, and we are so proud of you for that. But your clock is ticking if you ever want to have kids, sweetheart.” 

“I’m thirty one! I have plenty of time to have children, Ma. We have had this same fight every year since I broke up with Alec.” Y/n pushed her plate away from her. She was no longer hungry. 

“Because Alec was your last serious boyfriend, and you guys broke up nearly seven years ago.” Her mother countered as if it was a valid reason to harass her daughter every year. She enjoyed being single, it gave her the opportunity to do what she wanted, when she wanted. It even gave her the chance to start her own business, something she could not have dedicated time to if she had been worried about some guy. 

“You think I don’t know that?” 

“Well, honey, I just wonder if you even try.” Y/n simply nodded her head at her mother’s hurtful comment because she knew if she opened her mouth, she would say something she regretted. She stood and putt Odette in the chair in her place before stalking out of the room. Her feet took her quickly up the stairs to her room, the door slamming closed behind her.

It wasn’t her mom wanting her to find a man and start a family, that she could deal with, hell, she had been dealing with it for seven years as her mother so nicely pointed out. It was the accusation that she hadn’t been trying. She had tried on numerous occasions, each one failing miserably. Her anxiety over her date with Ben had just been her gut reaction to every bad experience she had hidden away inside her mind years before. 

What she hated even more was that deep down she wanted a husband and kids as much as she wanted her company to succeed. It seemed like the universe had other plans for her and she didn’t need her mother reminding her of that every time they had a chance to spend time together. Not to mention, it had ruined the one Christmas they have had all together as a family in some time. This was her chance to relax, reset, and enjoy time with loved ones and now all she could think about, yet again, was how awful her love life was. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader gears up for a New Year's Eve party hosted at the Padalecki's Austin home. Her hopes for good fortune in the New Year are quickly dashed when Jensen no longer seems to want anything to do with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short and sweet because I wanted the next part to stand on it’s own. That being said it does not downplay the significance of this part. As always, thanks for reading and giving feedback, it’s always amazing to read. xo Alex

After a while, her mother came up to apologize. The two of them mended their tift and her mother promised to drop the argument. Y/n knew it was an empty promise and the same one that her mother made every year, but as much as she hated it, she hated confrontation more. So, she put on a happy smile for the rest of the evening and decided to leave as early as she could the next morning. 

The next few days consisted of mindlessly filling her time with anything that she could. She found a new gym in Austin for when she was done in Vancouver. Then she spent a few days catching up with her close friends that she hadn’t seen in a few months. But, much like her last few days in Vancouver, nothing was doing much to help her mood. Her troubles would hide away in the back of her mind while she was busy, but the second she was alone again, she would slip back into her dark space. At least when she was in Vancouver, she had work to keep her mind occupied for long hours in the day. What was supposed to be her rest and relaxation time quickly faded into her desperation to be back at work. Which was something she never thought she would have considered before. 

When New Years Eve rolled around, she made herself remarkably early for Jared and Genevieve’s party. They were going all out this year. The house was going to be packed for their Gatsby themed party. They had spared no expense to put on a party that would modestly put Gatsby himself to shame. This party had promise for distraction for the majority of the night, something she had been looking forward to since Christmas. As much as she wanted to just drink the night away, she also wanted to spend some time with the kids before they were carted upstairs for the party, so she pulled up with about an hour to spare before the rest of the guests were to start arriving. 

She let herself inside, the only sounds in the house was music that sounded like it was from the Gatsby soundtrack itself. It was odd that she didn’t even hear the kids running amuck, let alone Gen putting the finishing touches on everything. 

“Hello?” Her voice was tentative as she grew a bit worried at the silence. She stepped around the corner as she headed towards the kitchen, running smack into Jensen. 

“Ah, fuck.” She exclaimed, her heart racing as she stumbled backwards. “Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?” She growled as she tried to focus on slowing her breathing once she regained her footing.

“I didn’t hear you, I just came in from outside.” Jensen pointed over his shoulder towards the large windows that lead outside. She could see Genevieve checking the chicken coops in her flapper gown that was remarkably similar to the one that Y/n was wearing. Her gaze cast across the expanse of windows to also see Jared running around with the kids in the grass. 

“Hmm,” she hummed, deciding she couldn’t be mad at him for that, no matter how much he had startled her. She brought her attention back to him as he shuffled around her. She took in his tuxedo, minus the jacket, the bow tie hanging untied around his neck. “You’re here early?” She noted. 

“Been here, for a few days.” 

“Oh?” 

“”M working on remodeling my home and Jared offered for me to stay in the guest house instead of a hotel.” Jensen explained, his voice monotone as he did. She narrowed her eyes at him as she took in the thin line his mouth was set in and the wrinkles in his forehead from his furrowed brow. 

“That was nice of him.” The words slipped slowly from her as she tried to assess what was bothering the man across from her. Jensen shifted his weight from foot to foot as he scratched his fingers in the beard that now adorned his face in his absence from work.

“It was. Listen, we’ll talk later, yeah?” He looked back over his shoulder before continuing past her and into the house without waiting for her response. 

“Sure… I guess.” She mumbled before continuing to the backyard. She continued past Shep and Tom playing in the grass and went over to where Jared now stood, pushing Odette in a swing. 

“Hey, smalls.” Jared gave her a warm smile when he noticed her heading his way. 

“Hey. So, I just ran into Jensen inside and he seems a little miffed, you know what that’s about?” She leaned against the wooden railing of the swings, unable to get his expression out of her mind. She had never seen him like that before, and he had never been that curt with her either. It was selfish, but she couldn’t help wondering if she had done something to make him mad at her. What that something may have been, she couldn’t rack her brain for it, and she hoped maybe it was something else.

“Hmm, no. I know he’s been stressed about the work going on at his house lately though.” Jared offered her with a shrug. Something about the way his eyes flickered from her when he gave his possible explanation set her on edge. His nonchalance about was even weirder. Jared and Jensen spent more time together than any other person in their lives, they told each other everything, but he supposedly didn’t know what had Jensen in a mood. She wasn’t buying it. Jared was lying, that much was obvious. He clearly didn’t want to tell her though, and she had to relent that ultimately it was none of her business. It was Jensen’s life and if he wanted to tell her, it was his place and only his place to do so. 

“Alright.” She accepted his answer, for now. 

Clara, the kids’ nanny, arrived shortly after she did. Y/n helped her get the kids settled in upstairs as more guests started arriving before joining the festivities herself. 

She knew many people who were in attendance. There were old friends of the family, a few cousins, and even just some of Jared and Gen’s parent friends. It meant that she wouldn’t be in short supply of people to talk to for the night. It was the perfect escape and her night continued to look up, even if she couldn’t stop wondering what was going on with Jensen. 

She spirited around the house, jumping from group to group and laughing with old friends. Even with her hopes for a great night, the thought that the night would just be a repeat of her last night in Vancouver, especially after the whole debacle with her mother at Christmas, never left the back of her mind. The further the truth slipped from her fears, the more she realized that things could be looking up for her. Could the cloud that seemed to be following her for the past few months finally be dissipating? Maybe it was a sign that good changes were just around the corner? She could only continue to revel in the happiness as long as it would allow her. 

The only thing was, no matter how much hope she had for the future, she couldn’t get Jensen’s sour attitude out of her mind. As the night continued on, she failed to find him anywhere she went in the house. She couldn’t let it go, as much as she reminded herself whatever was going on with him wasn’t about her, she just wanted to clear the air.

In Vancouver, it had seemed that they were becoming good friends, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. She hated thinking that maybe she did something that had irked him. And if it wasn’t her fault, she wanted to be there for him like he had been there for her. After all, that’s what friends do, help pick you up when you are down. 

That proved difficult though when she couldn’t find him anywhere. She had given up after a while, figuring she could talk to him once they were back to work. She slipped away from the crowd to refill her drink in the quiet kitchen. Much to her surprise and relief, she found Jensen alone in the kitchen when she entered it, refilling his own glass. He was completely done up now, his bow tie perfectly center at his collar, and his jacket now on his shoulders. 

“Hey,” She smiled warmly at him. He looked up at her, his own smile weak. “You having a good time tonight?” 

“Yeah.” He answered simply as he rifled through the drink options. 

“Good, good.” She mumbled, trying to come up with something else to say. He wasn’t helping her at all either, so she figured she should just cut right to the chase. “Listen, are you okay? You seem off, like you’re pissed about something…”

Jensen’s head snapped to her, his expression falling as he took in her concerned gaze. “I’m fine.” He stated after a beat.

“Are you sure? It’s just, and I don’t mean to pry, but you haven’t said more than a few words to me, and I thought we were becoming friends, so, if something is on your mind, you know you can tell me, right?” She was rambling, feeling awkward the more her words began to tumble from her mouth. 

“We are friends, Y/n. It’s nothing you need to worry about.” His answer to her question could not have been more vague. Again, he didn’t give her a chance to refute it before he was skirting past her and out of the kitchen, leaving without his drink. She stood there, contemplating what he had said. Even with his reassurance, she did not feel any better about whatever was going on with him. He didn’t seem to want to tell her either. Apparently, they were not as close as she had thought they were, and that hurt more than him being mad at her over some random thing. Her hopes for a new beginning this year were quickly being dashed as the one person that had been able to get her to open up, was pushing her away. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader slips away from the party to clear her head and runs in Jensen doing the same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say except thanks for all the lovely comments guys! I hope you guys love this one just as much xo Alex

The sounds from inside the house were instantly muffled as she closed the sliding door behind her. Her heels clicked low against the wood of the back patio as she made her way around the house to somewhere she wouldn’t be caught. It was almost midnight, and she wanted to be away from the festivities when the ball dropped. There is nothing more awkward than standing there staring into space while everyone else in the room is kissing their significant other, and after her Christmas, it would be harder tonight. Especially when the only other single people here tonight were the kids and Jensen, and she was far from wanting to open that can of worms. 

She clutched her coat tighter to her body as she fished around in the pockets. The light material of her costume did little to protect her from the cold Texas winter night. Granted, it was nothing compared to what she had grown used to in Vancouver, but it was still below freezing. She eventually found what she was looking for, a present she had gifted herself and hidden away for moments just like this. She lit the blunt and took a nice long drag as she continued past the chicken coops. She let the smoke sit in her chest for a beat before exhaling, allowing the cannabis to invade her system faster. As she rounded the coop, a dark figure caused a squeak to leave her mouth and the hit that she was taking to get caught in her lungs. Her body went into a fit of coughing as it fought to rid itself of the foreign substance. 

“Woah, are you okay?” Jensen’s soft voice met her ears as he stepped into the light. He had concern etched across his features as he stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to help.

“Yeah… I’m good. We have to stop… meeting like this.” She said between pathetic coughs as she hit her fist against her sternum. 

“Sorry about that.” He had on the first genuine smile she had seen from him all night, and it made her happier than she cared to admit. 

She stood up straight once the hacking subsided, hiding the blunt behind her body. “What are you doing out here in the dark?” 

“I was going to ask you the same thing, but I think I figured that one out.” He raised one of his eyebrows at her and nodded towards the hand that held her blunt. Blood rushed to her cheeks like a child being scolded. He just continued to stare at her for a moment before holding his hand out to her. With a sigh, she gave up her marijuana and placed the half gone joint in Jensen’s hand. He surprised her by taking a hit from it and not putting it out. She had been sure she had been caught.

“You didn’t answer the question.” She noted as he handed it back to her. She took another hit as he answered her.

“Avoiding the ball drop.” He shrugged before taking a drink of his whiskey. His tongue darted out to catch a stray drop of the amber liquid as he pulled the glass from his mouth. 

“Me too.” She looked off towards the expanse of the backyard, hitting the joint again. She breathed deeply, trying to soak up the tranquility that the quiet night had to offer. 

“It’s always so awkward when everyone else is kissing a person and you are making out with your drink.” He laughed. She turned back to him, a large smile on her face. She traded him back the joint and he hit it. She shook her head when he offered it back, allowing him to finish it off. It had done its job for now. 

“Tell me about it. My mother was on my ass about being single at Christmas.” Y/n moved to lean against the wall of the guest house. “God, It pisses me off that in the year twenty nineteen she can’t comprehend that a woman’s life is more than a husband and kids. Sometimes, I feel like she doesn’t even care about anything else I’ve done because I don’t have a family. Which, realistically, I know is insane. But then I just get even more fucking mad because I do want a family and she doesn’t even think that I’ve tried, when you know damn well, I’ve tried.” She was rambling, her inhibitions lowered just enough that she couldn’t shut herself up. Not that she would have wanted to shut up. Ever since moving to Vancouver, she found that Jensen had become one of the few people she could vent her frustrations to. He was almost like neutral territory, not having enough prior knowledge to be able to judge. He just listened and offered his views. A fact which didn’t help her to quench that longing for him. In fact, it did just the opposite. Not to mention his little pep talk at the bar two weeks ago. 

“What else are parents for than to haggle you about marriage and kids?” He agreed. The two of them fell into silence, taking in the sounds of the lake in the background and the muffled party inside the main house. Jensen spoke up again after a minute, his gaze focused off towards the water.

“I want it too, actually. I was so focused on my career for so long that now it feels like I missed my chance, you know, at a wife and kids. I hate saying this but, I look at Jared and Gen and I just get so jealous sometimes. He found his person and they had three beautiful, amazing, children. I’m beyond happy for him, don’t get me wrong, but I envy his happiness at the same time.” His words tugged on her heart. She had no idea he had felt that way, and she knew exactly how it felt too. He was always so great with her nephews and Odette. She hadn’t realized how much he longed for his own children though. Jensen was a caring man by nature and she supposed she should have seen it sooner. How could a man like that, a well raised, southern, Texas boy not want a wife and kids? 

“Jensen, you did not miss out. You still have time, I promise. If I do, then so do you.” She pushed her weight off of the brick to put herself in his line of sight.

“I’m ten years older than you are.” He reminded her, his gaze glancing back to hers. She shrugged.

“I’m aware of that. You are forty, not ninety. Guys can have kids pretty much as long as they can keep it up.” Jensen guffawed at her bluntness. It was one of the things he admired most about her, her ability to always find the humor in any situation. She smacked his chest with the back of her hand before continuing. “I’m serious, you just have to find a girl who hasn’t hit menopause yet, which at forty, shouldn’t be a problem.” 

“A girl like you?” He had grabbed her hand when it connected with his chest, squeezing her fingers in his palm. She had offered him the perfect opening, and he took it. Ever since Jared had mentioned it to him, he couldn’t shut up the pull she had on him. He was an idiot for not seeing it before. If Jared hadn’t said anything, he’s not sure if he ever would have figured it out. At least not until it was too late. And he had tried hard to forget about all of it, but seeing her again tonight had nearly broken his resolve. Even more so when he realized how much it hurt her when he had tried to push her away. 

Her heart swelled in her chest, leaving an empty feeling as she struggled to find the right words.

“Sure, like me.” She agreed, her voice breathy as she tried to make sense of what he had said. The noise inside the house rose, and they could hear the group counting down. 

** _Ten_ **

** _Nine_ **

** _Eight_ **

“Y/n/n?” Jensen leaned in closer to her, his face hidden mostly by the shadows. She could still make out his green eyes in the low light, the whites slightly bloodshot from the joint. His gaze flickered across her face, moving from her eyes to her lips and back again.

“Yeah?”

** _Seven_ **

** _Six_ **

** _Five_ **

“Tell me you don’t want this.” He leaned in further, his nose nuzzling against hers, their breaths mingling as their lips grew closer. She froze, her eyes fluttering closed as she soaked up Jensen into every sense she could. The heat from his body so close to her own, the smell of whiskey and weed on his breath, and even the roughness of his hiatus beard where his chin rubbed against her own. 

** _Four _ **

** _Three_ **

** _Two_ **

“No.”

** _One_ **

His lips pressed against hers tentatively at first before he pulled her closer to him, his hand guiding her against the back of her neck. Cheers and applause could be heard emanating from the house as she opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue to move against hers. She moaned into him before he pulled away, both of their chests rising rapidly with their breathing. Her fingers came up to touch her tingling lips as her brain tried to catch up to what just happened. She could still taste his whiskey on her lips and smell his cologne in her nose. 

“Jay,” She started, only to be cut off by him. 

“Fuck it.” He growled before he could talk himself out of it. Everything about her was screaming out to him, but Jared’s words continued to echo in the back of his mind. He grit his teeth and willed them away, focusing on the flushed complexion of the beautiful woman in front of him.

She gazed at him as he held out his hand to her. She took his hand, letting him guide her around the corner and inside the Padalecki’s guest house.The door was unlocked allowing him to quickly pull her inside and tug her body against his own. His hands cradled her jaw as he took in the amused expression on her face.

“What’s so funny?” 

“Absolutely nothing.” She shook her head, her hands slipping up Jensen’s biceps and to the back of his neck to pull him down to her, allowing her to catch his lips with her own again. He kissed her back with fever, the feel of her lips against his everything he had imagined it would be. She was plaint under him but not so forgiving that he forgot the woman he was dealing with. Her skin was heated under his fingertips where he gripped her jaw. He could’ve gotten lost in the soft breathes coming from her as she opened her mouth to him, or the way her full eyelashes looked fanned against her cheekbones. 

Jensen began to guide her back into the guest house and towards the bedroom, his hands roaming over her body as he moved, sending chills down her spine as they went. She caught on quick enough, pushing him through the door until the backs of his knees hit the bed. He fell onto the edge of it without even a nudge. His pupils were blown wide as he looked up at her when they separated. She threw off her coat into the corner of the room and moved to grab the hem of her dress. 

“Wait, are you sure you aren’t too drunk or... high.” He put his hands on her hips, halting her movements. His eyes were twinkling in the low light of the room as he waited intently for her answer.

“I mean, I am, kind of. But not so much so that I don’t know that I want to do this.” She shook her head, trying to focus a little better. Yeah, she was sure she wanted to do this, drunk or not. The inhibitors just hid away the insecurities that would have been screaming at her otherwise. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. And do you? Want to do this, I mean?” She bit her lip, waiting for him to respond.

“Fuck yes.” He growled, his hands replacing hers at the hem of her dress, bunching the material in his fists and raising it up so she could pull it over her head. She had never been more thankful than now for her choice in lingerie. The thigh highs for her outfit connected to her combination garter and panties that sat low on her hips. The black lace on her panties matched the thin bra that she wore as well. 

A blush ran up her neck as Jensen stood back up and rid himself of his own tuxedo coat, not taking his eyes off of her. He was still fully dressed compared to her, and she felt incredibly exposed in just her lingerie. Jensen stepped to her, his large hands coming to her neck to turn her chin up to him. He placed a kiss to the corner of her mouth before trailing his lips across her jaw and down her neck. He sucked deeply at the junction where her collar bone meets her throat, eliciting a breathy moan from her lips and another shiver to run down her spine. 

“You’re wearing too much.” She breathed out as her fingers wrapped around his forearms, holding him to her as he continued his assault on her neck. 

“Am I?” He chuckled as he stopped and looked at her. She nodded at him and knocked his hands from her so she could have access to his bow tie. She tugged it loose easily, tossing the tiny black material across the room. Jensen was breathing heavily as he let her shove him back. towards the bed. He fell onto it as she toed off her heels and crawled over him. She fixed her knees on either side of his hips and leaned over him, catching his lips with her own again. Her hair fell like a curtain around them, and she had to push it behind her ears to get it out of the way. Jensen’s hands found her hips, his blunt nails digging into the flesh there. She rocked her hips against his in response, the hardness of him inside his slacks sending jolts through her nervous system, and reminding her of where they were headed.

It was like she suddenly looked up to see headlights coming at her and she was crashed back to the reality of what was happening. Sure, as she had pulled her dress over her head, she knew what she was doing, and hell did she want it more than anything. But now, there was little left in her system to hold back those nagging thoughts in her mind. Anxiety collected in her chest as the adrenaline continued to push away her high. Every insecurity she had ever had was culminating inside her mind but she tried to push through it. The last thing she wanted was for this to end. Her body betrayed her though as she sat back on her legs and began to undo the buttons on Jensen’s shirt. Her hands were shaking just enough to make the task difficult. 

“Hey,” Jensen caught her wrists in his hands and waited until she looked up at him. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” Her assurance wasn’t even convincing to her own ears and she took a deep breath before elaborating. “It’s just… it’s been awhile.” Her shoulders slumped and she looked away from him as she said it aloud.

Jensen sat up, slipping one arm around her waist to hold her on his lap. He brushed back a few stray hairs from her forehead with his other hand and cupped her cheek. “We don’t have to do this, you know.” 

“I know, but I want to. I really want to.” Her stomach dropped at the idea of this moment ending, no matter how anxiety riddled her brain may be. 

“Me too. If it helps, it’s been a while for me too.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, right. You have thousands of women that would sell their first born for five minutes alone with you.” 

Jensen shook his head with a chuckle and kissed her. “That may be true, but one night stands aren’t really my thing.” She nodded, kissing him fully again as she fought down her anxiety and tried to focus on his lips against her own. Suddenly, Jensen stood, taking her with him, before spinning on his heel and tossing her back on the bed. Her eyes went wide as she bounced slightly and sat up on her elbows. He grabbed her ankles and tugged her down the bed. The forcefulness and fluidity of his actions sent a jolt straight to her core and she bit back her moan. Heat pooled in her stomach as he kneeled on the edge of the bed between her knees and finished taking off his shirt. 

Y/n took her chance to take in the freckles dotted across the expanse of his broad shoulders and down his toned stomach as he leaned over her. Jensen has always seemed slimmer in person to her than he did in photos or on TV, but now, with his arms encasing her underneath him, he had never seemed larger. It was the first time she felt small compared to him, and she was loving every second of it. 

The scratch of his beard against the smooth skin of her chest brought her back to Jensen working his way down her body. He grazed his tongue across the swell of her left breast as his fingers pushed the fabric down, exposing her nipples to the cool air of the room. Jensen wrapped his mouth around the bud, circling his wet, warm tongue around it a few times before giving her other breast the same treatment. 

Jensen sat back up on his knees so he could unclasps where her garter connected to her stockings. He slipped his finger in the elastic of her panties, looking up at her and waiting until she nodded for him to continue. He pulled them down her legs, his fingertips leaving a fire in their wake as he trailed them teasingly across her legs. 

“Those needed to go.” He murmured as he kissed the inside of her thighs. She nodded her head in agreement, the coil in her belly tightening as he hooked her legs over his shoulders. He blew gently over her heated sex, her body twitching as a chill rushed through her. 

“Oh god, Jay,” She moaned as he licked through her folds. His beard scratched deliciously against her skin as his lips wrapped around her clit. The mix of sensations were overwhelming and she had to fight against closing her legs around his head as he worked her over. Jensen made eye contact with her as he shoved two fingers into his mouth, coating them with his saliva. She let her head fall back against the bed as he slipped one finger inside her, crooking it against that sweet spot inside her as his lips came back against her clit. “Fuck!” She screamed, her hands flying to cover her face as he fucked her with his fingers. Her muscles tensed as he built her up, the embers inside her belly ready to ignite. It was all too much at once, yet somehow not enough. 

“God, you’re so fucking beautiful.” Jensen growled as he inserted the second finger inside her. Her moans were growing in pitch as her orgasm built higher. “Come on you’re right there, come for me, Y/n.” He sucked her clit back into his mouth, his hand moving swiftly as she fell apart around him, the embers in her belly lighting on fire. Her juices flowed down his hand as he brought her down from her climax, his hand still pumping inside her lazily. He lifted her legs off of his shoulders, rubbing her thighs gingerly as they shook. He climbed up the bed, stopping only for a second to wrap his mouth around one of her nipples, letting it go with a pop before coming up to kiss her. She opened up to him willingly, tasting herself on his lips. He pulled away and she buried her face into his neck, taking deep, steady breaths. Her whole body was vibrating and she wanted to stay right here for a moment, just breathing him in. 

“You okay?” He did nothing to hide the smile in his voice.

“Fantastic, amazing, and any other synonym you can think of.” She sighed as she let her head fall back against the mattress. She reached up to cradle his head in her hands. The euphoria of her orgasm and Jensen’s praises bringing back that little bit of confidence she had previously. There was nothing she wanted more right now than to feel him… to feel all of him. 

“But now, I need you. I need you to fuck me, Jay.” She held his gaze, her hands splayed across his face on either side. 

“Jesus, okay.” He choked back a groan, surprised by her change in demeanor. He pecked her lips once more before climbing off of her to dig a condom out of his bedside table. She scooted up the bed, watching him as he rid himself of the last of his clothing and rolled the condom down his hard length. She licked her lips as she took in his cock standing ready for her against his stomach. Her imagination had not done him justice. He was thick and long in all the best ways, dripping precome as his cock twitched. He crawled back between her legs, wrapping his fingers under her knees and hitching them high on his waist before sliding easily into her. He stopped, allowing her to adjust to the delicious burn as he stretched her walls. 

“God, please move.” She begged as her hips lifted in search of friction. Jensen wrapped his hands around her hips, holding her in place. He moved back slowly, pushing into her at an agonizing slow rate a few times before finding his rhythm. His movements were calculated and she felt every push and pull of him inside of her. He lifted her knees closer to her chest, his new angle allowing for him to go deep and she could feel him brushing her cervix with every thrust. The feeling sat on that odd line between pain and pleasure, and before she knew it, she was coming again, her walls fluttering around him. 

“So fucking sexy when you come, you know that?” He growled as he pulled out of her. He dropped her legs and tapped her hip. “Hands and knees, baby.” She sat up, catching his lips in a chaste kiss before turning and dropping onto her forearms, ass in the air for him without a second thought. He grabbed one of the globes of her ass, his blunt nails scratching slightly as he squeezed it. He let go as he thrust into her, immediately setting a pace again. 

“Fuck, you’re so big.” Her words were swallowed by the blanket she had shoved her face into it. Her body was overly sensitive from her orgasms, and he had given her no chance to adjust to the new angle. Jensen knew what he was doing. He had figured out exactly how to unravel her in record time. She was moaning obscenely into the comforter as her stomach clenched and she tried to find that end again, to let go one last time.

“Come on, one last one. I’m right there with you, you can do it.” His pace was faltering, his thrusts becoming erratic as his cock throbbed inside her. Jensen snaked one hand around her, his fingers finding her clit, brushing over it in tight circles. She bit into blanket, muffling her scream as she came for a third and final time. Jensen grunted as he stilled inside her, his cock pulsating as he came with her. When he finally caught his breath, he pulled out of her and tossed the condom. Her legs collapsed under her and she nuzzled into the bedding, still on her stomach, fully ready to succumb to the bliss. 

“Hey,” Jensen’s fingers were feather light as they trailed up her spine and brushed her hair from her face. “You good?”

“Stop asking me that.” She chastised as a smile graced her features. She opened her eyes to see his own not far from her. “I’m really good. Really, really… good.” Her hazy brain couldn’t find a better word to describe what she was feeling. 

“Good.” He laughed as he kissed her nose. Jensen climbed off the bed with a grin on his face and slipped his briefs back on before getting under the covers. She didn’t bother with dressing, hoping to get back inside before anyone noticed her absence and instead just slipped under the covers with him, nuzzling into Jensen’s chest as he pulled her into his side. 

“Happy New Year.” He breathed as he nuzzled into her hair.

“It really is.” 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and the reader deal with the aftermath of their night spent together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ’m so glad so many of you enjoyed their first little “get together”. Your words of encouragement make my day and I love reading each and every one of them!

The sun began to rise, its rays shining into the guest house at the perfect angle across her face. She nuzzled into the pillow now underneath her head, not wanting to get up just yet. As consciousness pulled at her to wake up, memories of the night and whose bed she was lying in came crashing back to her. She sat bolt upright in the bed, the sheet falling off of her naked body. Soft snores came from the other side of the bed. Jensen lay on his stomach, his arms folded underneath the pillow. She took a moment to take in his peaceful state. His long lashes rested against his freckled cheeks and his pink lips were slightly parted as he breathed evenly. 

She slipped out from under the covers and began picking up her discarded articles of clothing. Her plan was to relax for a few minutes before slipping back into the house so she could say goodbye and head home. Somewhere along the way, both of them had fallen asleep, and now she could only hope that after their late night, no one in the main house was up yet. 

Her mind was racing as she hastily redressed herself. Too many different thoughts sped through her head, her anxiety on high again. If her mind running wild wasn’t bad enough, it seemed her garter did not want to cooperate with her either. The clasps kept popping as soon as she moved on to the next one. Eventually, she gave up, deciding to just slip on her dress and call it a day. If she had to pretend like she slept in her costume, no one would question her looking disheveled. As she picked up her coat, her phone tumbled across the hardwood floor and making the loudest sound she would have imagined it could. She swore under her breath as a loud snort came from the snoozing man on the bed as he roused from his slumber. 

“Good morning.” His gruff voice called as he rolled over and rested his weight on his elbows. He only had one eye open and a small smile on his lips in his groggy state. She smiled back at him as she pulled on her shoes. 

“Good morning, I gotta run.” She hung her coat over her arm as she sprinted from the guest house. She ignored Jensen calling after her, she couldn’t face talking to him right now, not when she couldn’t even put together her thoughts for herself. Avoidance was her specialty after all. 

She crept up to the large sliding doors to the kitchen and peered inside. Genevieve was standing at the stove, her back to the window and Odette on her hip. She cursed to herself before rounding the house to the sliding door leading to Jared’s office. If Gen was up with the kids, then she could assume that Jared was still knocked out. She just hoped that his office door wasn’t locked. 

She was in luck, as she tugged on the handle, the door gave and she slipped inside. She grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and shook it out before refolding it and tossing it in a new position on the back of the couch. The little details mattered. If Jared found out where she spent the night, he would not be happy. Jared didn’t like the idea of her sleeping with any guy. Throw in that guy being his best friend, and nothing good would come of that. 

The door opening to Jared’s office caught Genevieve’s attention. She turned towards her sister-in-law, a huge smile on her face. 

“Hey, I didn’t know you stayed here last night.” Gen noted as she shifted Odette’s weight on her hip. 

“Yeah, after three glasses of whiskey, I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Y/n laughed, the noise sounding forced. Gen didn’t seem to notice though. 

“Well, I’m glad. Will you stay for breakfast?” Gen asked her as she turned down the pan she had bacon cooking in. 

“Um, I don’t think so. I really just want to take a shower and get into some comfy clothes. Thanks though.” 

“If you’re sure,” Gen turned more towards her, a frown on her face. Gen knew how much she loved having breakfast with her niece and nephews, so her turning down the opportunity was rare. 

“I’m sure. Love you guys.” She kissed Odette, blowing a tiny raspberry on her niece’s cheek before running off. Odette’s giggling was the last thing she heard as she shut the door behind her and ran for her car. She sped out of their driveway and headed towards her apartment. The whole time her mind was running wild. 

Y/n couldn’t decide where to start. She had woken up in bed naked... with Jensen? It wasn’t that she didn’t remember last night, it was more a question of how they had ended up there. Both of them had been a little inebriated, sure, but they both had also openly consented. Jensen had told her that he wanted it. Why though, she couldn’t figure out. She had been sure he only saw her as a little sister. What had changed? Was it their talk behind the guest house. He had confessed intimate things to her and was easily feeling vulnerable. Had she taken advantage of that? Her stomach churned at the thought, but it was the best explanation she could come up with considering he said that he doesn’t do one night stands. But what else could you classify last night as? Should they just chalk it up to one big mistake? It was easier for her to convince herself that it was a mistake. That was the easiest way for her to protect her heart from his inevitable rejection. 

That being said, it was a mistake that she would make again and again she told herself as she pulled up to her building. Last night had been the best night she’s had in a long time. Her whole being felt light this morning. The stress of the last few months that she carried on her shoulders was gone. Jensen had thoroughly fucked her last night. That much was evident from the ache between her legs. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had come that many times in one night, if ever. Her thighs squeezed together as more memories from last night came back to her. She held onto them, and committed them to memory. They were probably going to be the only ones she ever got. 

As she walked through her apartment, she began stripping her clothes, tossing them wherever she pleased. She started the shower before going over to brush her teeth. She ran a comb through her hair, tossing the fallen curls over her left shoulder when she noticed it. Right there, at the base of her neck on the right side, was a small red hickey. In going over all her memories, she hadn’t realized he had been forceful enough to leave a mark. Her fingers danced over the sensitive flesh, committing it to her memory too. She cursed herself for her naivety, hoping Gen hadn’t noticed it this morning. With Jensen being the only other single person at that party, there was no way she would be able to explain it away. 

With a deep breath, she jumped into the shower, letting the hot water run over her body. She took her time, washing everything and just enjoying the heat against her skin. The ghosts of Jensen’s hands on her body could be felt in the tender flesh of her hips and the scratches on her backside where her own hands traveled as she washed away last night. 

When she stepped out, her whole bathroom had become a steam room. She could no longer see anything in her bathroom mirror as she dried herself off and tossed her hair into a towel on top of her head. She made her way back into her bedroom, picking out comfy sweats and a sports bra to wear. 

As she walked out of her room, her stomach growled at her, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten. She was putting a bowl of oatmeal into the microwave when she heard her phone vibrating from its place on her coffee table. She pressed start and went to fish her phone from her coat pocket. She had some missed messages from friends wishing her a happy new year, but it was the two messages from Jensen that caught her attention.

**We need to talk.**

**Please?**

Her stomach sank as she read over the few words. She knew the ‘lets just be friends’ conversation was inevitable, but that didn’t make any of it easier. She guessed she could be thankful that he wanted to do it in person and not over text. It was the classier move.

As much as she tried to convince herself on the drive that it was all a mistake, she had failed. The rejection stung, no matter what she tried to tell herself. Still, she would get over it. She always did. Years of rejection had made her a pro at it. What was one more? 

The microwave beeped and she decided not to reply to him. They didn’t need to talk face to face, she didn’t think she could handle it. She had gotten the message loud and clear anyway. The two of them would go back to be whatever it was they were. Friends? Coworkers? She wasn’t sure exactly how to define their relationship, but she supposed it didn’t really matter. The show was over after this season, and they would never be forced to see one another again. Maybe he would be periodically around Jared at the same time she was, but they would not be forced to be alone together. 

She went back to grab her breakfast, pulling the towel from her hair so it could air dry the rest of the way. She plopped down on the couch and pulled up some random trash tv show to watch as she ate. Her phone buzzed another handful of times, but she chose to ignore it. Whoever or whatever it was, could wait until she could get her thoughts in order. When she finished her breakfast, she took the empty bowl to the sink. As she headed back to her living room, a knock sounded at her front door. 

With trepidation, as she had not been expecting company, she went to open the door. The last person she expected to see there was Jensen. Yet, there he was, his hair still damp from his own shower, a somber look on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Her brows scrunched up as she stepped back to allow him inside. 

“You wouldn’t answer my texts.” He shrugged as his eyes scanned the inside of her apartment. 

“So you came to my apartment? How did you even know where I live?” She crossed her arms against her chest. Her hopes of having a peaceful day had been dashed. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. 

“Uh,” Jensen rubbed the back of his knuckles across the stubble on his jaw. The memory of his beards scratch between her legs had her biting back a groan. “I asked Jared to borrow his phone. I told him mine was dead and I needed to check my email.” 

“Well, you really didn’t have to go to all that trouble just to reject me.” Her tone was sour but she couldn’t help it. Now that she was physically close to him again, it was like something went off inside her. Her whole body was calling out to him, just begging to be touched by his hands one last time, to feel his muscles rippling underneath her fingertips as he moved above her.

“What are you talking about, reject you?” Jensen was confused. Did she really think that he drove across town just to reject her?

“You said we should talk. I get it okay, we were both a little messed up and vulnerable last night, it was a mistake.” She spit out through gritted teeth. It physically pained her to say the words out loud.

“Is that really what you think? That last night was a mistake?” Jensen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Last night had been incredible, and even now, he longed to touch her again. 

“No, I don’t.” She admitted. “But that doesn’t mean that it should ever happen again. We lead different lives Jensen, not to mention the possible backlash from everyone we know.” Her mind was grasping for reasons that it wouldn’t work, because that was the only way she would be able to get over it when it did end. She turned and walked away from him, plopping down onto her couch. Jensen followed her, sitting on the edge, his body turned towards her.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since our last night in Vancouver.” Jensen admitted. “And last night… last night was amazing. I don’t think that is something that you just let go of.” He placed his hand on her knee, squeezing it so she would look up at him. “Y/n, you are this crazy, beautiful, insanely intelligent mystery that I just want to get to know better. Believe me when I say that last night wasn’t just about the sex, no matter how great it was. Let me take you out on a proper date this time, let’s do it right.” 

“Jensen,” She started, ready to tell him all the reasons she had come up with why it wouldn’t work, as much as she didn’t want to believe them. “What about Jared? As much as I love my brother, I don't think he would be too thrilled about this.” 

“We don’t even have to tell anyone, at least until we figure out what all this is. Just look me in the eyes and tell me it’s not something you want, and I’ll drop it. We go back to being friends and forget this ever happened.” He stared at her, intent on keeping her gaze. The intensity of his stare stirred up those butterflies inside her again, and she knew that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t tell him that she didn’t want to do it all again. She couldn’t tell him that all she had wanted since she ran from his room this morning was to crawl back into bed with him because they would all be lies. How could she say no to the man basically begging at her feet? It was like he said, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, and who knows, maybe they aren’t meant to be. What is life without taking a few risks, and she would be damned if she didn’t take this one. A small smile began to form on her lips as she held his gaze.

“Is that a yes?” His voice was wary as he stared at her. 

“It is Ackles, so you better make it worth my while.” He flashed her a toothy grin, his tongue peeking between his teeth.

“Don’t you worry sweetheart, I never leave a woman disappointed.” 

****

A week went by without another word from Jensen. She saw him in passing when she was at Jared’s house to say one last goodbye to Gen and the kids. He didn’t say much to her, but he wasn’t avoiding her either. The whole concept of a secret relationship, if you could even call it a relationship, was foreign to her. She had no idea how to act when they were around other people. The lack of communication between them didn’t exactly help either. They were stuck in this weird limbo between a hook up and a ‘first date’ and neither of them knew what to do.

The thoughts in her brain where firing on overdrive every time he was near her that day. She was like a dog in heat, and the only thing on her mind was the way his muscles rippled under strain, or his breathy moans in her ear as he fucked her. On multiple occasions, Gen had to snap her out of her little trances. She would brush it off, telling them that she was just thinking about work. That then would only lead to everyone telling her that she worked too hard, which wasn’t a lie per se, it just wasn’t her current problem. 

Her excitement to be back in Vancouver only heightened as the week passed. It would give her the perfect opportunity to be distracted by something other than Jensen, at least that was what she hoped. 

She grabbed her bag from the security conveyor and followed after Jensen and Jared towards their gate. “I guess I’ll see you guys when we land.” She stopped outside the first class lounge, her stomach knotting up as she glanced towards her crowded gate. 

“Think again.” Jared grinned. 

“What are you talking about?” She had no clue what he was hinting at, but judging from the look on his face, he was up to something. Jared pointed to her hand that held her passport and boarding pass. 

“Take a look at your ticket.” She glared at him suspiciously before she scanned the boarding pass in her hand. Under the boarding class, it read ‘First Class’. 

“Jared, what did you do?” She sighed. 

“I upgraded your ticket.” He was all smug, not catching on to the tone in his sister’s voice. 

“Why? You know I don’t care about that crap.” 

“You don’t care about your seat, but I know how you feel about airports. It’s much quieter and less crowded in here and you deserve it.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her into the lounge, not allowing her to protest. There was a tv on one wall playing the local news station. On the opposite wall was a table with snacks and fresh coffee. Jared wasn’t wrong when he said she would feel better in the lounge. It had put her at ease just walking through the doors. 

“So, this is how the other half lives?” She teased as she chose a seat to rest in before boarding. 

“Get used to it. Before long, you’ll make more money than I do and you’ll be purchasing all the first class tickets your heart desires.” Jared admitted as he sat in the seat beside her. She shook her head at Jared’s antics. She didn’t want to admit to how much she was already enjoying his surprise. It made her a little guilty that he had done something so nice for her and here she was, hooking up with his best friend and hiding it all from him. Both her and Jensen had decided though, that until they could figure out whatever it was that was happening between them, it would stay just between them. What was the point in fighting with everyone if all of meant nothing in the end anyway? 

She sat back in her seat, watching the news as they waited to board. They were being called onto the plane shortly after they had arrived. She followed behind Jared and Jensen down the tarmac, their longer legs carrying them faster than she could go. Not to mention she was busy reading the seat number on her ticket as she walked, allowing a few people to slip in between the guys and her. To her surprise, as she came up to her seat, her neighbor was none other than Jensen. 

“Really? That’s convenient.” She met his smile as he stood up when he noticed her. He took her carry-on from her and lifted it into the overhead bin. 

“I promise I had nothing to do with it.” He closed the full compartment and stepped back so she could slip into the window seat. She set her purse down and buckled up as Jensen did the same. 

“Just lucky I guess.” She turned her head, looking around for her brother. He sat at a window seat on the other side of the plane, two rows back from them. He waved when she met his eye and she offered him a small wave back. 

“Think he can hear us?” Jensen’s voice was low as she settled into her seat. 

“I doubt it. He’ll probably have his headphones in any second anyway.” 

Jensen turned his head towards her, his voice low. “How have you been this week?” 

“Honestly? Weird. I don’t know how to do this, how to act. I’ve never had to hide from the people around me in that sort of way.” Her voice trailed off as the flight attendant came and asked if they wanted a drink. Both of them opted for a water. As soon as the attendant had handed them their drinks and was out of ear shot, Jensen spoke again. 

“I know what you mean. When I saw you at Jared’s, I had to fight the urge to kiss you on the spot.” His words had her breath catching. She cleared her throat and took a drink of the small water bottle in her lap. He had a smug grin on his face as she looked back at him. 

“You enjoy seeing me flustered don’t you?” She bit her lip as she tried to hide her own smile. The stern face she was attempting to convey was failing to come across properly.

“I do, especially when your cheeks flush pink like that,” He tipped his chin at her and she could feel her blush deepening. “Been thinking about about your flushed skin all week.” 

“Oh,” She looked away from him and crossed her legs. He chuckled lowly at his success as the plane took off. “You need to behave.” She pointed a stern finger at him. He put his hands up but she could still see the twinkle in his eye. Jensen didn’t understand the concept of behaving. If he kept it up, she would never make it through this flight. That little growl he had as his voice dropped went straight to her core, and she could feel the slick settling between her legs. 

All of his comments were giving her whiplash. He was more brazen after not talking for nearly a week than she was expecting. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, she just had no idea where they sat with each other, and him trying to rile her up in front of a plane full of people was just as confusing as it was arousing. The two of them had only slept together once, but it was almost like he knew her better than she knew herself. 

She made a show of taking out her headphones and putting them in her ears, letting him know that she was pointedly ignoring any further attempt he would have devised to get under her skin. The attendants brought by snacks and more drinks for them. Besides interacting with them, she was doing a good job of ignoring Jensen. After her second bottle of water though, she needed to use the restroom. 

She pulled out her headphones and unbuckled her belt. “Can I get up? I need to use the restroom.” She nudged his knee. 

“Oh, now you want to talk to me.” He undid his own seatbelt and stood up into the aisle. 

“I’ll talk to you as long as you can behave. Can you do that?” She paused before continuing. 

“No promises, but I’ll try.” He played. She nodded and headed to the small bathroom. The bathroom seemed to be more roomy than she was expecting, though still small. Just another stupid perk of first class. Jared was trying to spoil her, and she hated that it was working. She washed her hands and pulled on the door. The overhead light shut off and the light from the main cabin was blocked by a large figure in the opening. 

“Jay?” She had not been expecting him to be there, and was even more thrown when he pushed her back into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. “What the hell are you doing?” The two of them were nearly chest to chest in the tight space. 

“Don’t worry, Jared is sleeping.” Jensen put his hands on her jaw, bringing her face up to his. Her body reacted to him of its own accord, closing the small space and opening her mouth to him. She could taste his cinnamon gum on his lips and smell his signature cologne. It all brought her back to New Year’s and she never wanted it to end.

“‘T’s not Jared I’m worried about.” Her words were breathy as she pulled away from him. “I’d rather not get arrested.” Jensen chuckled, pressing his lips back to hers. His tongue swiped across her lips and she granted him access. Their tongues moved together until her head was dizzy and her chest was heaving. 

“I just couldn’t wait to do that again.” He brushed his thumb across her swollen bottom lip. 

“Well now that you have it out of your system, can we go back to our seats before someone catches us?” Jensen nodded at her request.

“One last thing. Friday at nine, think you can slip out past your brother?” He grabbed the handle to the door, ready to walk out. 

“I’ll figure something out.” She agreed. Jensen pulled open the door, the light above them going out again. 

“Good, now go, I’ll be out in a minute.” He urged her out of the bathroom. She peeked her head out and made sure no one was paying attention before heading back to her seat. She sat down and buckled up, her lips still tingling from his touch and a soft smile on her face. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen takes the reader out on an official date, and the two of them get to know each other a little better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s fluffy, it’s funny, it’s real. Jensen out here ruining all other men in the span of just a few hours. Hope it lives up to your expectations. As always, I love hearing your reactions, so don’t hold back. xo Alex

The sun had set a long time ago, before they were even off the set. The snow had begun not long after. It was piling up on the sidewalks and the roads. She had no idea the plans that Jensen had for her tonight. The two of them were cordial at work, but Jensen was obviously avoiding being alone with her. The only time he spoke to her away from other people was at lunch today, telling her to be ready by nine. She was rifling through her closet now, trying to find something to wear. It had to be cute but also practical for the Vancouver weather. 

Her hair was still wet from the shower she had taken, and she had only slipped on a bra and panties. She was standing in her closet, a robe over her shoulders when Jared knocked on her door. 

“Come in.” She called as she tied the robe around her waist. 

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know I’m heading out to Carl’s to play some poker.” Jared smiled warmly at her. 

“Oh, okay, have a good night.” She didn’t bother letting him know that she was heading out too. All day she had been trying to come up with an excuse as to where she was headed. Her only friends here were on the cast or crew and that could easily get her caught if she told him she was with them. This, on the other hand, was perfect. She could slip out after him and if she got home after him too, she would come up with some lie then. 

“Love ya, smalls.”

“Love you too, moose. Now go.” She shooed him out of her room, Jared laughed the whole way to the front door. She finally made a choice for her clothes and laid them out on her bed as she finished her hair and reapplied her makeup. It was nearing eight thirty when she texted Jensen asking him if he wanted her to meet him at his place. His response was cryptic, to say the least, only stating that he would get back to her. So, she simply finished getting ready. She was in the kitchen putting her belongings into her purse when there was a knock on the door. 

Tentatively, she went and pulled it open, revealing Jensen standing there. He looked disgustingly adorable. Seriously, she thought to herself, no grown man should be that cute. He had on a thick wool coat, one that looked as though it probably cost him a decent chunk of change. He was wearing gloves and a matching scarf. Honestly, he looked like he stepped out of a hallmark Christmas movie. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” It was all she could come up with to say. Well, besides ‘fuck me’, but that seemed a little less appropriate.

“What?” His eyebrows scrunched together, his smile faltering as he looked over her shoulder and into the apartment. “Jared’s not still here is he?” His voice dropped as he said Jared’s name. 

“No, he left for some poker game.” She explained. “Wait, how did you know he wasn’t going to be here?” She stepped back and let Jensen into the apartment. He turned back to her, a huge grin on his face. 

“I may have hinted to Carl that he should host a game this weekend. And I may have not felt well enough to go tonight.” His tongue rolled against his upper lip as he waited for her response. She eyed him skeptically, mulling over his inventiveness. 

“Nice tactic, Ackles.” She finally smiled at him. “Let me grab my coat.” She ran and slipped on the heavy material. She topped it off with a hat and gloves and the two of them were out the door. Jensen kept a small distance between them as he walked her to his waiting Mercedes. He pulled open the passenger door and let her in before running to the other side and hoping in.

“Okay, so are you going to finally tell me where we are going?” She asked him as he pulled onto the road. 

“Come on, just enjoy the ride. We will be there soon.” He turned the heat up in the car a little, a smile on his face. His teeth shone in the light from the street lamps as they passed under them. 

“Fine, keep your stupid secrets.” She mocked anger, crossing her arms over her chest and focusing her gaze out the windshield. Jensen couldn’t help but laugh at her. He also couldn’t help but think about how cute she looked with her bottom lip sticking out like that. That’s not to say he didn’t think she always looked cute. She did always look cute. 

Jensen had kept his promise. It took them less than fifteen minutes to get to their destination. The parking lot was empty as far as she could tell when they pulled in, only heightening her curiosity. She could tell there was a wide open space on the other side of a small shack that sat on the far end. As they got closer, she noticed only one other car in the lot. 

Jensen hopped out of the car and came to open her door. “You aren’t going to kill me are you?” She mused as she got out of the car. 

“Yeah, you wish.” Jensen took her hand, entwining their fingers and guiding her towards the shack. 

“I do. You are too perfect, which means you are destined to have some sort of flaw.” She nudged him. 

“I’m sure you’ll find some eventually.” He promised as the lights outside the shack flickered on. The sign above the glass windows simply read Roy’s, with no other indication as to where they were. She noticed a guy standing on the other side of the glass, looking their way. 

“Ackles! Good to see you again buddy! This the lucky lady?” He turned his attention to her, causing her to blush. 

“Hey Roy, yes this is Y/n. Y/n, this is Roy.” Jensen introduced the two. Roy extended his hand to Y/n, who shook it graciously. 

“What size shoe you wear, sweetheart?” Roy asked her. She answered him, slightly confused until he came back with a pair of ice skates. She was beginning to understand now. Roy handed a pair to Jensen too and the two of them sat on the bench to their left to put them on. 

“Alright Roy, hit the lights!” Jensen called as he helped her to her feet. The sight before her nearly took her breath away. The rink was a decent size, but not massive. Poles on the perimeter of the rink had fairy lights wrapped around their height and strings of them connecting the tops of every pole. It cast a beautiful warm glow across the ice. As the lights warmed up, soft music began to drift from speakers somewhere in the distance. 

“Wow,” The word fell from her without thought as Jensen pulled her onto the ice. She was a little wobbly at first, since it had been years since she had been out on the ice, letting him guide her with both his hands. “I can’t believe you did this.” 

“You like it?” He was smiling, but she still noticed the slight panic in his voice. He wanted to make sure she was enjoying herself.

“I love it.” Her nose began to burn as tears welled in the corner of her eyes. “I haven’t been ice skating in years. We… we used to do it every year as a family.” The tears spilled gently down her cheek. At this point, she didn’t care either. She didn’t mind that Jensen would see her crying, because it was Jensen, the only person she realized she didn’t care if they saw her cry. Jensen was smiling softly now, giving her a knowing nod. “Ah, but you already knew that.” 

“I did, Jared used to tell me about it every year during filming of the earlier seasons. He misses you guys a lot when we are filming. He loves having you up here, you know that right? I think he is just bad at expressing that.” Jensen continued to pull her in circles around the rink. Her body quickly remembered how to work her way across the ice, and the two settled into a better rhythm. 

“You know you aren’t supposed to make a girl cry on the first date right?” She wiped away more tears from her cheek, careful not to smudge her makeup. 

“How was I supposed to know you would cry, you never cry?” Jensen spun in front of her, skating backwards as he eyed her. 

“Are you kidding me? I cry all the fucking time, it’s just never in front of other people.” She admitted. 

“Should I feel honored by that then?” Jensen asked, reaching out for her as she wobbled. She balanced herself against his forearms, allowing him to just pull her along again. When she didn’t answer, he smiled to himself. He knew she wouldn’t admit that she felt safe around him, at least not yet. Though, he couldn’t be sure if she realized it herself yet. 

Jensen continued to pull her along the rink, the soft music filling the comfortable silence. Jensen let go of her then, making a show of his skills. He was spinning in circles, and gliding effortlessly around her. He was bordering on figure skating at this point as he skating backwards, putting a good distance between the two as he sped up. The last song faded into a new one, and she recognized the melody easily. She was biting her tongue as she tried not to laugh. Jensen could see her shoulders shaking from where he was. 

“What the hell is so funny?” He asked, slowing his movement but not stopping completely.

“Um,” She chuckled. “It’s just, this song always makes me think of Blades of Glory and you were over there trying to be cool and showing off. It was just too much.” She nearly snorted as she fought not to fully laugh in his face. 

“That is a classic.” Jensen mused, coming back to her, taking her hand and pulling her into him. He spun her around, one hand is his own, the other on the small of her back. “I don’t want to close my eyes!” He screamed off note, eliciting more laughter from her. “I don’t wanna fall asleep cause I’d miss you babe, and I don’t wanna miss a thing!” 

“You are incorrigible.” She shook her head, a huge smile on her face. Jensen dipped into her and brushed his nose against hers, kissing her softly.

“Yeah, but you love it.” Jensen continued to spin her around as the song faded out. He let go of her hand and brought his gloved fingers to brush along her cheekbone. “Wanna call it, it’s getting cold.” He noted, taking in the pink adorning the tip of her nose and apples of her cheeks. 

“Sounds good.” Jensen pulled himself from her and guided her back to the edge of the rink by the shack. Jensen helped her to the bench and took off her skates for her. As they finished putting their shoes back on, Roy appeared, two paper cups in hand. 

“For the lovely couple.” He handed them each a cup and retreated with a goodnight. Jensen thanked him again. Wrapping both hands around the cup, she let the heat radiate through to the bone. She breathed in the steam coming through the lid, the spices making her mouth water. 

“Apple cider? You really did your research.” She admired his ambition, taking a sip of the delicious warm beverage. 

“Nah, I just pay attention.” He held out his hand and the two went back to the car. He let her in the passenger side before getting behind the wheel. 

“Oh, so what else have you been paying attention to?” Genuine curiosity had gotten the better of her. She wasn’t sure if she should feel flattered or self conscious. 

“Well, you always have a coffee with you every morning. Milk and vanilla flavor or when you are in a particularly good mood, you try the seasonal flavors like pumpkin or peppermint. Or maybe it’s the switch up in the coffee that puts you in a good mood, I haven’t figured that out. I’ve also noticed that you don’t eat beef or pork, the reason for which I have yet to decipher. And you love to sing, whether its lip synching, singing under your breath, or belting it out when you think no one is listening.” His declaration was far from what she had expected. She had been paying attention to him too, but she never imagined he had noticed so much of her. 

“Oh, the good mood is definitely because of the coffee, you have yet to see me without coffee. And I don’t eat beef or pork because I’ve never really liked the taste. Also, it’s healthier and better for the environment.” She explained. “What self respecting Texan does not like some good barbecue?” He had a look of mock horror on his face as he watched out the windshield. 

“Shut up, you can barbecue chicken too idiot.” 

“Oh, that’s so not the same and you know it.” He argued.

Y/n shrugged at him. “I don’t know that, ‘cause I don’t eat it. Is that a deal breaker for you?”

“Let me think about it.” Her jaw dropped, even though she should have been expecting a smart ass comment like that one. 

“You are so lucky you are driving right now.” She growled, only eliciting a laugh from Jensen. 

Jensen pulled his car into the parking garage for his apartment building, and brought her up to his apartment. The scent hit her nose as soon as he pushed open the door. The garlic and rosemary encompassed the whole apartment and made her mouth water. 

“Let me take your coat.” Jensen helped her out of her coat and hung it up along with his own. She followed Jensen into his kitchen. There were candles lit on the set dining room table. There was some dish sitting there too, waiting to be served. “White wine or red?” Jensen asked her as he took two bottles from the cabinet. 

“Uh, guess.” She challenged him. “You’ve been paying such close attention, I wanna see if you can guess correctly?” She sat down at the table as he motioned for her to do so. He licked his lips as he eyed her, but she wouldn’t give an inch. 

“Okay, well, you like whiskey on the rocks when you are down, besides that you also almost always order some type of cocktail. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen you drink wine.” She shook her head as he walked through his thought process. “White, definitely white.” He stood firm in his decision. 

“Wow, you are good, how do you do that? Seriously it should be like... a super power, or at least you could go on America’s Got Talent.” She really was surprised how effortlessly he seemed to figure things out like he did. 

“You’re funny.” He came over with the glasses he had poured and sat down next to her. 

“I’m serious, it’s impressive.” She shoved his shoulder and took a drink of the wine. It wasn’t her favorite, wine never was, but it wasn’t disgusting, she could drink it. The only time she ever chose wine was if she was on a date. 

“Well, I hope my cooking skills are just as impressive.” He cut into the dish and plated some for her and himself. Then he handed her a piece of garlic bread to go with it. 

“Wait, you cooked this? How did you pull that off?” The food was still steaming, but they had been gone for at least two hours. Not to mention the lit candles when they came in. 

“I put it together before I left and had someone watch it while it cooked.” 

“Resourceful.” She muttered as she took her first bite. She fought back a groan, her eyes rolling in her skull. “Alright, that’s it, am I being punk’d? You are officially great at everything.” 

“It’s good?” His eyes lit up as he watched her reaction. 

“It’s sinful.” She affirmed. Jensen bit back his inappropriate comment, choosing to just accept her compliment. 

“I’m glad.” Jensen dug into his own plate. The two of them falling into a comfortable silence as they ate. Her plate was nearly empty when she spoke up. 

“Alright, so since you seem to know so much about me, I want to know about you.”

Jensen took a sip of wine, mulling over his answer. “Well, I have an older brother and younger sister. I’m from Dallas-“

“Come on, that’s all public knowledge. Tell me something I can’t look up on the internet.” She interrupted him. He was going to have to think hard too, because there was a lot out there for her to find. 

“Okay, so everybody knows about me doing West Side Story in high school. But what most don’t know is, I was actually on the cheer team.” His words were almost a whisper as he admitted to her, like he thought someone else may be listening in. 

“Uh, yeah. I already knew that.”

“What?”

“Jensen, your high jump at conventions is like near perfect form. Okay, you don’t learn that playing football. Hell, it’s better than mine.” She said matter of fact. 

“Wait, you were a cheerleader?” He sat back. 

“Is that so surprising?” 

“It is. I would have never pegged you as a cheerleader.” He shook his head, his playful grin returning to his face. 

“It was only senior year. And I only did it to piss off the popular girl that had tormented me since sixth grade.” She shrugged her shoulders. “We actually ended up becoming good friends. Who knew?” 

Jensen laughed out loud. Y/n was taken aback, not expecting his reaction. “I’m sorry, it’s just, I could’ve guessed that. You make friends with everybody.”

“No, I perfectly curate my personality to individuals so that I can avoid confrontation at all costs. It’s different.” She was mostly joking, but her face conveyed a certain degree of seriousness. 

“Is that what you’re doing here?” Jensen leaned into the table and she mirrored his movements. His voice lowered as he questioned her. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” She tsked. He nodded his head in agreement as he returned to finish the dinner on his plate. 

When both of their plates were clean, Jensen stood and cleared the table. She watched him move around his kitchen, enjoying him relaxed and in his element. He always seemed to move so effortlessly and with more grace than you would expect from a grown man. It was mesmerizing. 

“Tonight was amazing. You really know what you are doing, Ackles.” She stood and followed him into the kitchen, glass of wine in hand. She sauntered up next to him where he was rinsing off the plates in the sink, fitting her body close to his.

“I’m glad you had a good time.” He turned and glanced down at her, shutting off the water and drying his hand on a towel. “Does this mean I get to take you out a second time” He turned his body fully towards her, placing his hands on her waist. She put down her glass and gripped his biceps.

“I don’t know, haven’t decided yet.” She looked off in the distance, a mock look of thought on her features. 

“Maybe I can convince you. Or at the very least,” He leaned into her, pulling her body flush against his own. “Remind you.” Jensen bypassed her lips, going straight for that spot on her neck that he remembered drove her wild. She all but melted underneath his touch, the feel of his warm mouth against her pulse pooling in her belly. He set something off inside her that she didn’t quite understand, this feeling that no other man had been able to pull from her. It was need and longing and something else she couldn’t place. 

“Jay,” she mewled, bringing his mouth up to hers. She wanted to taste him, to feel his tongue in her mouth. Her body opened up to him, welcoming him to take over every sensation she had. As his hands came up to her face, she dropped hers to the waistband of his jeans, and began to tug his buttoned down free. 

“Hey, wait.” Jensen pulled away from her and gripped her wrists to halt her movements. She whimpered at the loss of his heat. 

“What’s wrong?” Her eyes flickered lazily back up to his. 

“Sweetheart, I don’t want this to be just about sex.” She was confused by his declaration, not sure where else he had been heading a moment ago. 

“You’re joking?” She dropped her arms from his grasp.

“No, I’m not.” He leaned against the sink next to them, watching her closely. 

“Don’t you think that may be a little redundant here?” She really could not tell if he was serious. He was absolutely the first man she had ever met that turned down sex. To call him an enigma was slowly becoming an understatement. 

“I don’t. Y/n, I think considering the consequences, that we should take this a little slower. We hit it right out of the park on the first pitch, and I don’t want to fly to close to the sun here.” He admitted. 

She scanned his soft features as he smiled warmly at her. “That was single handedly the weirdest analogy I have ever heard. Who says shit like that in real life?” Jensen laughed with her, the apprehension he had been feeling dissipating. “But you’re not wrong. One step at a time?” Jensen nodded at her offering, leaning in to kiss her cheek softly. 

“You want help cleaning up?” She offered, it was the least she could do after the evening he had treated her to. 

“I would love that.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and the reader find time in their busy schedules to go out on a second date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to start off by thanking everyone for their patience with this one. Things have been hectic in my life and my anxiety has been on high, which for me means I shut down anything that requires more than 10% of my attention. Any way, I hope this makes up for it. As always, I love to hear what you think, so don’t be shy!

The apartment was still dark when Y/n unlocked the door upon her return. She could tell Jared had yet to return, as he usually leaves a trail of evidence when he does. He would have left out something he pulled from the kitchen to munch on, or more likely, he would have left a light on. It was a bad habit of his, not turning off the lights, which drove her insane. 

She sighed with relief realizing he had yet to return. As she made her way to her room, she hung up her coat on its hook. She didn’t turn on a light until she was in her room. It took her no time at all to strip out of her clothes and into some warm pajamas. As she moved across the hall to the bathroom to remove her makeup and wash her face, she realized that she couldn’t stop smiling. It was a small smirk that refused to leave her lips. She bit her bottom lip, trying to will it away, but that only seemed to make it grow. And it was all Jensen’s fault.

It had been longer than she cared to admit since she had been on a first date that was as amazing and theirs. Her first dates usually consisted of bad small talk and not enough alcohol. Granted, they also tended to be the only dates she would embark on. Her mother wasn’t lying when she said it had been a long time since she had a serious relationship. Since Alec, she had only ever ventured towards friends with benefits relationships. Their breakup had broken her, for a long time. It took her years to gain back the self-love and confidence that she possessed today. And that still was nothing compared to what she once was. The emotional abuse she experienced at his hand made it nearly impossible to trust any guy enough to let him close to her. But with Jensen, she didn’t need to let him in. He had somehow found his own way in without her even knowing. He didn’t know everything, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care if he found out. The truth behind her break up was one that she didn’t even tell her family. Her mother couldn’t understand why she hadn’t had a boyfriend since, and Y/n couldn’t blame her for that. No, it was Y/n’s fault for not telling her. But Jensen… Jensen was safe and calming, and she found she would tell him anything he wanted to know. They had a lot to learn about each other, but she had never been more excited about it. 

Her phone screen was lit when she came back into her room. She shut off the lights and crawled into bed with it. There were a few messages from Jensen.

**I had a good time tonight, regardless.**

**Did you decide if I can take you out again?**

She chuckled to herself as she read. He was the softest guy she had met. But she couldn’t let him get off that easily.

** _I had a nice time too. And I decided that you cannot take me out._ **

She watched as the bubbles popped up immediately, indicating he was curating his reply. 

**It was the baseball analogy wasn’t it?**

A snort fell from her. He would bring that up.

** _Yeah, and well, I figured that I should repay the favor this time. Let me take you out. A girl’s gotta woo her man too. _ **

His reply came quickly again.

**Oh, so I’m your man now? **

** _Don’t get ahead of yourself Ackles, it’s a figure of speech. _ **

**Ouch... that hurt, Padalecki. **

** _Somehow, I think you’ll forgive me. _ **

**Always. Now get some sleep, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, and you can tell me all about this date you have planned.**

She didn’t want to admit the clutch that his reply had on her heart. Jensen always somehow knew exactly what to say, even if she didn’t know it was what she needed. She bid him goodnight before plugging her phone into its charger and snuggling into bed, her grin even wider than before. 

****

Commotion in the kitchen jolted her into consciousness the next morning. She could hear voices talking, their timbre low. Curiosity got the better of her, and she climbed out of bed to see what the ruckus was. She wiped the sleep from her eyes as the sunlight from the common room of the apartment hit her when she opened her bedroom door. 

“Ah, look who decided to grace us with her presence.” From her angle in the hallway, she could see Jared pouring out a shake from his blender into a cup. He had on his workout out gear, likely ready to head out to the gym.

“Us?” Her voice was timid as she made her way into the kitchen. As she made her way down the hallway, she could see the ‘us’ in which Jared was referring to. 

“Yeah, us.” Jensen spoke up from his seat at the island bar top. He was also clad in workout clothes, a water bottle sitting on the counter in front of him.

“Well, I would still be sleeping if you two weren’t making the most noise you possibly could out here.” She growled at her brother as she made her way over to the coffee maker. She could feel Jensen’s eyes on her as she poured some coffee into a mug. His gaze was making her feel self conscious in her state of undress. Granted, he had seen her naked, but that was a far cry from the dried drool in the corner of her mouth, and the rats nest that was currently her hair.

“It’s almost eight o’clock. This is sleeping in for us.” Jared pointed out as he turned to her. 

“Ugh, you and your facts.” She grumbled and took a sip of her coffee. The liquid warmed her body on its way down, and she had to fight the clichéd sigh. Jensen chuckled from his place at the counter and her eyes flickered to his for the first time. She glared at him, having hoped to hide pre-coffee Y/n from him for a little longer than this. There was no going back now, she supposed.

“Please tell me you two are going to the gym to leave me in some peace and quiet.” 

“We were just heading out, your majesty.” Jared bowed in front of her. “I just have to grab my jacket.” He skirted off down the hall and into his room. His absence left her a small window of opportunity to mess with Jensen a little. Sure, she respected his wishes, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating. How could you not look at the man and be frustrated? She was a warm blooded American woman after all. Two could play at this game. 

Y/n made her way around the island and stopped to lean an elbow on the counter, putting her right in Jensen’s line of sight.

“You know, if you wanted to see me again so soon, you could’ve just asked.” She kept her voice low, as Jared had left his door open behind him. 

“I did, and you said no remember?”

“No, I said you don’t get to take me out. There is a distinct difference there.” Jensen narrowed his eyes, trying to pick up on what she meant. “Chew on that a bit.” With that she pushed off the counter and headed back for her room. Jensen was a smart guy, and she knew he would catch up with her at some point. 

As she passed the desk in her room, she picked up her laptop and climbed into her bed. Today was her day to catch up on things for her business. She had a photo shoot that was coming up soon that she needed to finalize details for and book a plane ticket to New York. They had a lot to get done before Ashley went on maternity leave, and she was determined to do it. That had been their compromise after the whole debacle. They were to shoot everything they needed now, and it will be strategically posted to both of their social media profiles later when the collection launches. They were exceedingly lucky that their schedules lined up perfectly. She had a long weekend off from filming soon, and she needed to take advantage of every opportunity that she could.

Once she settled all that, she would dive into planning something special for Jensen. Who says that a guy has to do all the romantic stuff in a relationship? Equality and stuff, right? She was determined to figure something out, and she liked to think that she knew him well enough to make it a night to remember. 

The task was harder than she anticipated. Jensen just wasn’t a gooey guy. He was a Texan boy and though that meant he was a gentleman, it also meant that getting him back for making her cry was damn near impossible. Not to mention, as much as she hates to admit it, he knew a lot more about her than she knew about him. 

Eventually she gave in, deciding that she would go with the humor approach. She was going to make him laugh until his ribs ached and ply him full of alcohol. They will have a damn good time if it killed her. The place she had found to take him to was a dive to say the least. Definitely a place the Winchester brothers would find themselves on a crack hunt. But that was part of the charm of the evening. As well, it meant it would be less likely someone would spot them. All she needed was to wait until Jared was out of the way. 

****

It was a quiet day on set. They were working on a few scenes on the bunker stages, which meant no fun work for her. She was mostly present to make sure the guys didn’t get too shiny. Hell, even Trish had the day off. That’s how little her services were needed. 

She sat in one of the uncomfortable cast chairs, her one leg crossed over the other, bouncing mindlessly as she scrolled through social media. The director called cut and she hopped up from her spot to run and check on Jared and Jensen. 

Jared sat down on the map table so she could reach him. “I wish you could come home this week with me.”

She smiled at her brother with a slight roll of her eyes. “You’re just saying that so I can babysit for free while you and Gen do things I want to know nothing about.” 

“Hey, the kids miss you.” Jared acted offended by her words.

“Wow, you aren’t even denying it.” Jensen piped up from where he stood next to them. He crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk. 

With an exaggerated gasp, she pointed the brush in her hand at Jensen. “Yes! Thank you. Just hire a babysitter like normal people and leave me out of it.” 

“Whatever, smalls. You’ll understand one day when you have kids. And I won’t be there to bail you out when you and your baby daddy want some alone time.” Jared stood as she indicated she was done with him. Her nose wrinkled at his choice of words. Out of all the terms he could have used, he went with ‘baby daddy’? 

“Fine by me, wanna know why? Cause I’ll have hired a babysitter.” She shoved his shoulder when he rolled his eyes at her. Jared’s action only served to fuel her annoyance with him, her jaw setting while she thought of some retort, but Jared was too quick for her. 

“You know you seem a little cranky. When was the last time you ate?” She frowned, knowing it would prompt him to run off to the food table and get him off her back. “I’ll go grab a snack really quick. Jensen?” Jared raised his eyebrows as he turned his attention to Jensen. Jensen just shook his head as she glared at her brother. Jared disappeared from the set, leaving the two of them forgotten as the crew worked to set up the next scene. 

“You know, you and Jared’s bitch faces are disturbingly similar.” Jensen said as she indicated for him to sit as well. As she tucked away Jared’s makeup and swapped it for Jensen’s, she stuck her tongue out at him.

“Probably the dimples.” 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” He grinned as he looked up at her. Her heart stuttered in her chest from his gaze. Every time he looked at her like that, it seemed to take her breath away. It was hard to describe, but the simple adoration and the way his skin crinkled at the corner of his eyes just did something to her. 

“So, Jared leaves first thing tomorrow morning, and I was thinking, if you were interested, we could go on that second date.” Her voice lowered as she finished her sentence. Both of them glanced around their immediate area for any prying ears on the set. 

“I would love that.” Being next to her was growing increasingly difficult. Jensen was fighting every instinct inside him that wanted to reach out and touch her. Especially considering they hadn’t had a moment alone since their first date, and that was two weeks ago. There wasn’t even a small chance to sneak a quick peck to her lips. He was seriously reconsidering his adamance about keeping sex out of the equation. And she wasn’t helping the situation, either. She was antagonizing him, that he knew for sure. Women did it all the time around him. Swaying their hips and ensuring that their breasts were the best accessory to whatever outfit they chose to wear. He refused to play her game though. Taking things slow was the hardest decision he had ever made, but his previous relationship patterns were consistent. Each one started out hot and heavy, and each one burned out before they even had the chance to see the light. Even though whatever it was they had going between them was new, he knew that he did not want this to turn out like all the others. Something in his gut was telling him this could be different, and he was determined to keep them from fizzling out. 

“Good, I’ll text you.” Her voice brought him back to the moment. He had to remind himself to just take it day by day. To take in each moment as it comes. He was committed to remembering the little things about their time together. Like the way the tip of her tongue was now fixed in the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her work. Or the obvious excitement in her voice at the prospect of setting up their next date. 

“So banana or apple?” Jared appeared next to them, popping the bubble they had unintentionally disappeared into. Y/n snapped closed the powdered foundation in her hand and kept her gaze on Jensen. 

“Oh, banana for sure.” 

****

“I’m kind of regretting keeping you in the dark for our first date right now.” 

“Stop worrying, you’ll have fun.” She whined for the third time that evening. She had only given him as much to go on as he had given her for their last date, and it turned out that Jensen was an even bigger baby about surprises than she was. 

“I’m sure, but I’m just curious as to why you insisted that I wear jeans and cowboy boots.” Jensen fiddled with his legs, looking down at his weathered leather boots on his feet. 

“Ah, but it’s all part of the fun. Besides, the wait is over, we’re here.” Y/n pointed out the windshield as their uber turned into the gravel parking lot. The building that they had pulled up to was, for the most part, nondescript. The only hint as to what was inside came from the various neon signs that indicated the brands of beer they sold. 

The deep bass of the music playing inside could be heard as the two exited the car. Jensen still had a skeptical look on his face as she came around and grabbed his hand to drag him inside. The chaos that reigned behind the door hit them in the face as they entered the bar. The long bar on the south side of the building was the main focal point as they made their way inside. It sat directly across the way from a stage where a live band was currently playing something neither of them recognized. The theme inside was anything but subtle, and he immediately recognized where they were. 

“Really? A honky tonk bar?” Jensen had a wide grin on his face as she turned back to him. 

“Well, you can take the girl out of Texas…” She trailed off, not needing to finish her idiom. Her lips were pursed as she tried to fight her smile. “You like?”

“You know, I think I do. This is honestly the last place I ever expected, but man I do miss home sometimes.” Jensen continued to follow her to a few open seats at the bar. He slipped his arms around her waist as she flagged down the bartender and ordered two beers and four shots. 

She slid two shots to Jensen and kept two for herself when they arrived. “Here’s to Texas.” She held up the shot and Jensen tapped his own against it.

“God bless Texas.” He agreed before the both of them downed the amber liquid. Y/n immediately picked up her second shot and threw it back with a hiss. She shook out her head as she fought against the burn in her throat. 

“Come on Ackles, keep up.” She picked up the large pint of beer and disappeared into the crowd of people dancing. Jensen smirked to himself before throwing back his second shot and setting off after her, his own beer in hand. 

****

The front door to Jared’s apartment flew open, bouncing off of the small decorative table that had the unfortunate incidence of being placed where it was. The small potted plant that sat atop it shook in its place from the force. 

Jensen and Y/n were attached at the lips as they stumbled inside. His hands fumbled to find the handle to close the door behind them as he refused to separate from her. A giggle fell from her lips as he growled in frustration and finally relented. He fastened the deadbolt before turning back to her. With a breath, he allowed himself a second to take in her flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips. Even after a night of dancing, drinking, and yes, bull riding, she looked as beautiful as ever. It was corny as shit, but there was nothing he didn’t love when he looked at her. And right now, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

“What?” Her self-consciousness picked up under his intense stare. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had something on her face.

“Nothing, just admiring the view.” He answered honestly. An eye roll was her only response. Jensen always said sappy shit like that, but she would be lying if she said that she didn’t love it. Frankly, his open affection was uncharted territory for her. Sure, she had slept with her share of willing men, but both of them were just looking to get off. Niceties were not on anyone’s minds. With Jensen, it was different. She could actually feel the admiration, and to describe the way it made her feel would be impossible. Words cannot express that warmth. 

“You’re not half bad yourself, Ackles.” She purred as she took his hand and pulled him down the hall. He followed happily, allowing her to drag him through the door and push him down onto the edge of the bed. She snuck her way between his thighs, hovering over him. His heavy eyes flitted up to hers as he drew his neck back to look up. 

“This view looks familiar.” She cocked her head before catching his lips in hers again. The high of feeling his barely chapped yet still pillow soft lips against her was one she would chase over and over. It radiated heat throughout her, only to be intensified where his wide palms rose to rest against her hips. 

“Y/n-”

“Shhh,” Now was not the time for talking. No, she just wanted to feel him, to be able to commit these moments to memory. Including his heaving chest and lust blown eyes. And Jensen didn’t have any will to object to it either, not when her fingers were tugging on the soft hairs on the base of his skull, the action getting him more and more excited. 

He chased after her lips as she sank down to her knees in front of him. He lifted his feet at her insistence, allowing her to pull off his boots and socks. Both of her hands pulled back her hair to toss it over one of her shoulders before she raised back up off of her calves. Heavy breathes fell from Jensen as he leaned back and supported his weight with his arms behind him and watched her reach for his belt. The metal jingled as she pulled it open, not once taking her eyes off of the half wrecked man in front of her. There was a smug satisfaction at knowing how undone he had come already, and she hadn’t even touched him yet. 

A hum of contentment left her lips as she continued to take off Jensen's jeans and briefs while he took care of his shirts. “Did I mention how lucky I am?” She asked him as she lazily stroked his half hard erection.

“Jesus,” He groaned and ran his hand over her head and through the locks along her shoulder. “You have my cock in your hand and you’re the lucky one?” Her only reply was a gentle nod of her head before she wrapped her lips around his reddened tip. Jensen sucked in a breath at her sudden warmth before letting it out in a low moan. 

It was like a symphony to her ears, the noise jolting her core with arousal. “Mm, lucky.” She asserted as she coated him in her saliva and took as much of him in her mouth as she could. Jensen was making delicious noises as she worked him over, sucking him for all he was worth. In no time, his thighs were clenching against her sides and she could tell he was close. With a soft pop, she took her mouth from his throbbing cock. Jensen whimpered, fully frustrated by her removal before he fell back on the bed in a heap. 

“Oh my…” He watched her as she shed her own clothes and went in search of a condom. She motioned for him to move up the bed and tossed him the small packet she had secured. 

“You can call me Y/n.” She drawled in a bad southern accent. The bed bounced as she playfully jumped onto it. The movement gave Jensen temporary issues as he worked to secure the condom on himself. Once it was finally on, he moved to sit up, but she stopped him, pushing him back against the comforter. His rough hands found her waist as she straddled his hips. She bucked forward, rubbing her dripping pussy against his cock, causing both of them to hiss. 

“How’s about I call you amazing?” He smiled up at her as her right hand fell onto the bed next to his head. She kissed him deep and swift, savoring the taste of his tongue in her mouth and his breaths mixing with her own. 

“That works too.” She supposed, lining him up with her entrance and sinking down. Her chin fell to her chest as he stretched her, cascading her hair into a curtain around their faces. The tip of her tongue was turning white where she had it clenched between her teeth as she tried not to cry out. Her memory of that first night had not done either of them justice. It was hazier than she had thought, because she was sure she would have accurately remembered this feeling. Frankly, she was kind of pissed that she hadn’t gotten the clear picture. Sure, she had felt it in the morning, but that was nothing compared to the fullness she was experiencing now. 

“You good?” Jensen had his knowing smirk on as he repeated the phrase she had chastised him for that first night. Without a word, she fixed her hair back over one shoulder before she raised her hips up and lowered them back down in a slow, calculated movement. Jensen grunted, his fingers digging into the soft curve of her hips.

“Are  _ you _ good?” Jensen laughed at her quick retort. That was a fair response, he assumed, as she repeated her movement. Quickly, she had to adjust her support, moving her hand higher near his head and bracing her left hand against his chest near the base of his throat, before she could set a pace with her hips.

The room quickly filled with the sound of her skin against skin mixing with her deep moans and Jensen’s heavy breaths. He had planted his feet, meeting her thrust for thrust, his hands helping to bring her back down to him. Jensen took over every sense she had, and she wanted nothing more than to freeze this moment right here and hold onto it for as long as she could. Fire was now burning through her veins as the coil tightened in her belly. She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to last, her body racing to the edge. 

“Y/n,” he warned her through gritted teeth, not needing to say anything else. A loud moan that emanated from the back of her throat was all she could offer him in confirmation that she was right there with him. “You’re doing so good baby, riding my cock. Come for me, Y/n.” 

She captured his lips again as she finally fell over the edge, her pussy clenching tight around him. Their mouths met in heated tongue and teeth as Jensen gave her another few good thrusts before following her off the cliff and emptying himself into the condom. Under trembling legs, she forced herself off of him and dropped in a sweaty heap on his right. Her hands searched him out as she worked to slow her breathing, her fingers eventually making their way through the longer locks on the crown of his head. Her gaze fixed on the paint lines across the ceiling as she allowed herself to come down.

“You know, I thought you were going to fight me on this.” She mused as Jensen rolled over her, his arm folded against her stomach to support his head just below her ribs. 

“What do you mean?” He asked as he kissed her sternum, just below her breasts.

“The whole, ‘let’s not make this just about sex’ thing. I just thought you wanted to wait.”

“We did wait… for the second date.” He joked before turning serious again. “Besides, it’s harder to argue when you don’t believe your own words?” He had a content smile still on his face as she played with his hair. She searched his face for any hint he may be lying to her, but she couldn’t find anything hidden there. 

“Okay, I just didn’t want you to feel pressured. I didn’t pressure you, did I?” 

“No, no pressure.” He promised with another kiss against her sweaty and flushed skin. Jensen laid his cheek against her belly, her fingers still in his hair. The two remained that way in silence for a moment or two before Jensen spoke up again.

“What did you mean earlier, when you said you were lucky?” His brow furrowed as he adjusted himself to get a better look at her face. 

“Hmmm, well, I was referring to the fact that millions of girls would pay out the ass to be on their knees in front of you, and I got to do it for free.” She had to cut the moment with an ounce of humor. Jensen pinched her side as he frowned at her. She yelped before squirming out from underneath him. “I’m serious, if this acting thing doesn’t pan out, you could make a killing.” 

“You’re not funny you know that?” He tried to chase after her, but she was out of the bed before he could blink. He threw one of her pillows across the room at her. She caught it with a huge smile and headed back to the edge of the bed. 

“I’m hilarious.” She countered and tossed the pillow back to him before jumping back onto the bed. “For real though, I don’t think I could even express to you just yet how lucky I feel right now.” 

Jensen accepted her answer, inviting her back to his side. The two of them snuggled back into each other, content to just listen to the sound of their own breathing. That was until something hit him. 

“We really need to stop fucking in Jared’s homes.” He wrinkled his nose and she fell into another fit of laughter.

“Could be worse, it could have been his bed.” She got out in between breaths. 

“Yeah, well, I like my head attached to my body.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggle with whether or not I want to make the reader’s previous relationship abusive, because I don’t like the idea that she needed something horrific to happen to her to push my plot agenda. Eventually though, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that the fact remains that it is an unfortunate reality for a lot of women, and that I can make it about more than just a plot device. 
> 
> If you or someone you know is suffering abuse at the hand of a domestic partner, I want you to know that there is help. Visit https://www.thehotline.org/help/ for more information.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader and Jensen enjoy their time together in whatever way that they can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part really got the better of me, and I’m not even sorry for the extremely awkward scene in here. Besides, I think it will work out interestingly in later parts. It was inspired by an actual conversation between Jared and Jensen. Once you read I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about ;) Okay, enough rambling…. enjoy! xo Alex

Keeping their extracurricular activities contained to Jensen’s apartment was, for the most part, an easy endeavor. The tricky part was not letting Clif in on their secret. She spent her fair share of money on Ubers back and forth from Jensen’s apartment in the evenings. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Clif to keep their secret, it was that they didn’t want to put him in the position that he would have to. In the end, she would say that it was worth it. The two of them had the chance to act like a semi normal couple. At least, there was no one she had to lie to about where she was going. Unfortunately, their week was up quicker than they had anticipated.   
A soft ding rang out in the quiet room. The sun was just rising over the horizon as he stirred awake. Jensen reached over for his phone, careful not to disturb the woman sleeping next to him. He opened his phone, only one eye open as he adjusted to the light. He had to read the text twice before his sleep riddled brain could comprehend what he had read.   
“Shit.” He cursed under his breath and rolled over. He gently shook her shoulder and she groaned in response.  
“Sweetheart, you gotta get up.”  
“Why?” she whined, her face still stuffed into the pillow. The two of them had spent the beginning of their Saturday night drinking too much beer and eating more pizza than was humanly possible followed by an emotional viewing of Titanic, much to Jensen’s dismay. Then they spent the rest of it rolling around between Jensen’s sheets.  
“Jared just texted me, he’s back early and wants to shoot some hoops. He’s already on his way over here.” Jensen explained as he brushed her hair from her face. At the news of her brother heading their way, she bolted upright.   
“What? Fuck!” She nearly fell out of the bed in her haste to get up. She picked up her various articles of clothing around the room, slipping them on as she went. “Oh, god. If he noticed I wasn’t home, shit. Does he not wait for a response?” Her thoughts just fell from her mouth as they crossed her mind. She looked over at Jensen who was out of bed now too.  
“Apparently not.” He shrugged as he slipped a t-shirt over his head. He grabbed a pair of basketball shorts as he chased after her out of his room. She was running around the kitchen, looking for her coat and purse, Jensen just watching her, not sure how to help her at that moment.   
“Babe, have you seen my phone?” She asked as she pulled on her coat, her hands searching the pockets for any trace of it.   
“Um, last I saw it was on the coffee table.” He moved towards the couch. Sure enough, there it still sat. He grabbed it for her and she rushed to him.   
“Thank you.” She pulled the phone from his hand, leaning in to place a chaste kiss to his lips.   
“Anytime.” He followed her to the front door of his apartment. “Hey, Y/n/n?” She paused, half way out the open door.   
“Yeah?” She turned towards him. Her hair was still disheveled from their activities last night and sleep. Her mascara had run in the corners of her eyes a little bit, but the smile on her face as she turned to him, well, he swore his heart skipped a beat.   
“This is okay, right?” He knew she would understand what he was asking. Neither one of them had stepped into this relationship with any preconceived notions about what this was. That didn’t mean he felt bad, kicking her out in the morning like she was his mistress and his wife would be here any second.   
She flashed him a wicked smile and shrugged. “It’s kinda fun actually. Running around and fucking each other in secret, it’s all kind of thrilling.”   
“You’re sure?.”   
“I’m sure, Jay. I gotta go, though.” She kissed him again, letting her lips linger for a moment this time. He had to fight the urge to chase after her as she pulled away from him. He watched her head the opposite way down the hall and disappeared into the stairwell.   
Jared arrived not even ten minutes later, a basketball in hand.   
“Why do we always have to shoot hoops so early?” Jensen complained as he let Jared into his apartment. Jared followed him to the kitchen where he grabbed a water bottle to fill up.   
“Cause old man, it’s good for you.” He teased, setting the ball down on his island. “Speaking of which, I drank a lot of water this morning, I gotta hit the head.” Jensen waved Jared off as he ran to the bathroom. He shook his head to himself. Jared was insufferable when it came to being healthy. Sometimes, it scared him how much the two of them really were like Sam and Dean. On some days, they were nearly indistinguishable.   
Jensen was screwing the lid onto his water bottle as Jared came back into the kitchen.  
“So, did you have a good night last night?” Jared asked, his eyes narrowed at Jensen as he sat down on one of the bar stools. If Jensen had been taking a drink at that moment, he would have spit it everywhere.   
“I mean, I guess.” His voice had risen, the difference in octave only noticeable by him.   
“Dude,” Jared cocked his head. “I know.” Jensen swore he was having a heart attack then. This is what they felt like, right? His heart was in his throat and he couldn’t remember how to breathe. There was no way Jared knew, he would not be this casual if he did.  
“Know what?” Jensen kept up his innocent demeanor as his heart beat pounded in his ears.   
“You got laid last night and you didn’t tell me.” Jared shoved his shoulder across the counter. He continued when Jensen cocked his head in confusion. “You didn’t do a good job of hiding the evidence in your bathroom. Now come on, give me all the details. Was she hot?”   
“Well, I don’t... let’s just drop it. And stop being so damn nosey, dude.” Jensen tripped over his words as he tried to come up with something coherent to say. Jared really was too nosey for his own good. Like who in their right mind looks through people's trash?   
“What? It’s not like we haven’t talked about these things in the past. Please, I need to live vicariously through you, kids really put a damper on your sex life. Gen and I barely got two minutes alone all week.” Jared was now giving Jensen Sam’s signature puppy dog eyes.   
“Believe me when I say that you do not want to hear the details.” Jensen mumbled trying not to meet Jared’s eyes.   
“Why was she crazy?” Jensen’s eyes were nearly bulging from his head as he silently begged his friend to just shut up. “She asked you to do something weird didn’t she? Girls are into weird shit nowadays, I guess, I don’t really know. When Gen-”   
“Jared!” Jensen cut him off, really not wanting to hear him say anything else. The two of them had talked about the occasional hookup, Jared less so since he got married, but if he knew what he was saying right now, he’d cut out his own tongue. But Jensen also knew if he didn’t say anything, Jared would not give up. “If I tell you one little thing, will you shut up about it?”   
“Fine.” Jared relented and shifted in his seat like an excited puppy eager for a treat.  
Jensen thought over what to say next. He had to come up with something that wouldn’t scar Jared for life if and when their relationship eventually came out, for whatever reason, but also juicy enough to shut him up. “Yes, she was hot. No, she did not ask me to do anything... weird. Happy?”   
“No man, come on, you gotta give me something more than that.” Jared looked at him like a kid in a candy store. He wanted anything but to say the next thing to come out of his mouth, but he knew Jared would not let it go if he didn’t give him something.   
“Fine. She is… particularly well skilled with her… with her mouth.” Jensen tried not to look completely disgusted as he said it out loud. He felt dirty saying out loud. Jensen had a little sister too, and if her husband ever said anything like that to him, he would probably kill him. God, he was so dead.   
“Yeah she was.” Jared was practically cackling while Jensen imagined himself rolling into a tiny ball and then off of a cliff.   
“Can we just go now, please?” Jensen grabbed his water bottle and headed for his front door.   
“Year sure, but if you hook up with this girl again, I want to meet her.” Jared followed after him, a huge smile still plastered on his face.   
I wouldn’t be so sure of that...  
****  
That following Monday brought all three of them back to set. It was a typical morning, complete with the oddest conversations she had heard two people have.   
“I really don’t think you are getting my point here.” Jensen was focused on her as she worked on his face, though he was currently talking to her brother. It was a tiny habit that Jared hadn’t picked up on, for which she was thankful. She loved the warm feeling his small smile sent through her whole body, too much to make Jensen stop.   
“Oh, it’s you who doesn’t understand my brother.” Jared promised from the chair next to him.   
“Macaulay Culkin would kick Michael Cera’s ass. He’s a crafty little devil.” Jensen argued his side. The two of them had started this whole ‘who would win in a fight’ conversation nearly twenty minutes ago. Neither had yet to make a compromise.   
“No way, in hand to hand combat, Michael’s got the upper hand.”   
“Are you serious? Macaulay's got experience. When have you ever seen Michael in a fight scene?” Jensen shifted his focus back on her. “Y/n please knock some sense into your brother.”   
“Oh no, don’t bring me into this.” Her eyebrows rose on her forehead as she fought back a smile. These two guys could really get out of hand in their conversations. She couldn’t even remember what had started this whole thing in the first place. It was entertaining, she had to admit, but she couldn’t take sides in this one. There is no way she would win.   
“She’s afraid of what you’ll do to her if she agrees with me.” Jensen pointed an accusing finger at Jared.   
“Ah, you are always so confident that I agree with you, huh?” She leaned back against the countertop and crossed her arms.   
“Yeah, cause I’m usually right and both of you know it.” Jensen’s tongue was peeking between his teeth as he stared up at her. The glint in his eye felt like a personal challenge, so she decided to weigh her options.  
“Well big guy, I’m sorry to disappoint you but, I have to go with Jared on this one. Michael is a bigger dude and he’s also not weakened by drug addiction.” Jared threw his head back and clapped as he let out his laughter. Jensen’s smile dropped and Y/n was biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to keep a straight face. .   
“If anything the drugs give him an edge.” Jensen muttered under his breath as he stood. Y/n broke then as Jensen muttered his way out of the trailer. She may pay for that one later, but it would be worth it.  
“I really would have thought you would have sided with him.” Trish was giggling as she continued to work on Jared.   
“I was, until he got cocky.” She smirked as she collected the makeup into Jensen’s bag. Jared burst out laughing again.  
“That’s my girl.” Jared held up his hand to her and she high fived him.   
Y/n went back to collecting the items she would need on set that day when she saw if laying underneath her belt. “Jay left his phone.”  
“I’ll take it to him.” Jared held out his hand for the phone without even looking her way. She hesitated, weighing her options yet again. On one hand, she could hand it over and let Jared return it on set. On the other, she was done until filming started and if she took it to him now, they would have a few minutes alone in Jensen’s trailer.   
“I can take it. Besides, Trish isn’t done fixing your face.” She held the phone against her chest. “I’ll see you guys on set.”   
She skipped out of the trailer with Jensen’s bag and phone in hand. Jensen’s trailer wasn’t far from the makeup one, allowing her to arrive in no time. She stepped up onto the first step and knocked on the door.   
“Come in.” Jensen's voice came muffled through the door. With a deep breath, she opened the door and entered.   
“Hey, you forgot your phone.” She started, her voice trailing off as she took him in. He had nixed the flannel and was in just a t-shirt. The material was tight over the expanse of his back and around his biceps. The whole view was intoxicating, and the blood rushing through her body suddenly had her feeling warm.   
“Did I?” Jensen turned towards her, his one eyebrow raised. She flashed the device in her hand before placing it on the counter top. “Hmm...” His lips pursed slightly, hiding a smirk.   
She bit her lip as she realized what he had done. “You did that on purpose, didn't you?” She raked her eyes up his body as he inched closer to her.   
“Maybe...”  
“What if Jared had found it? Or Trish? It would have foiled your evil little plan.” She ran her hands up his arms as he slipped his around her waist.   
“Trust me, I was careful to put it where I knew you would find it.” He cocked his head and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips. Her body relaxed against his as she allowed herself to be in the moment, to just feel him against her.  
“Next time just say something.”  
“Where’s the fun in that?” Jensen asked as he trailed his lips across her jaw. A shiver ran through her as his lips ghosted across her skin. The hairs across her skin stood up against the stimulation and she could tell her breathing was already picking up.  
“I thought we always had fun.” She admitted as her fingers flexed against the muscles of his arms. The timbre in her voice dropped as she licked her lips “I mean, I know I do.”   
A growl rolled up Jensen’s throat and suddenly he was tugging her back towards the couch.   
“Fuck, you can’t say shit like that.” Jensen stopped and put both hands on either side of her face. She grinned up at him.   
“Why’s that?”   
“Cause now I want to bend you over that couch and fuck you until you feel me between your legs all day.” His voice was dangerously low as his hands roamed down and over the globes of her ass. Heat was pooling in her lower belly and her arousal got the better of her. His presence had that effect on her now. Ever since they broke that damn, everything about him drew her in. His jaw, his smell, the way his jeans made his legs look thick and long. She found herself clenching her legs on set just watching him work.   
“So, why don’t you?” Her voice was breathy as she clutched her fingers into the fabric of his t-shirt at his back.   
“I’ve got to be on set in twenty minutes.” His voice was broken as he weakly protested her offer. Jensen brushed a few hairs from her face as she looked up at him.   
“Sounds to me like you’ve got fifteen minutes to make it happen.” Jensen chuckled and stepped away from her, holding up his index finger at her confused expression. She watched as he went to the door and locked it. A huge grin spread across her face as he came back to her. His eyes were dark as he turned her in one swift movement and pulled her back flush against his chest.   
“Challenge accepted.” Jensen nipped at the sensitive skin below her ear and her hips jutted back against him in response. Jensen’s hands worked their way up her sides and around her breasts. His fingers tugged against her nipples through her bra. She let her head fall back against his shoulder as he rolled the hardened nubs in between his fingers.   
“Jay,”   
“Shh, I’ve got you.” He promised as his right hand travelled down her stomach and into the waistband of her leggings. She mewled as his fingers slipped through her folds and began his ministrations.  
“Damn baby, always so wet for me.” She nodded, her eyes closed. Her right hand slid up to the side of his head, her lips searching over his jaw as she held onto him.   
“Only you.” Their bodies moved together as her hips searched for friction. She could feel his hard length against her ass as she pushed against him. If his arms weren’t around her, she thought she might collapse under her shaking legs. Her breaths were coming rapidly as her climax grew, the fire inside her heightening all her senses. She was so close when Jensen pulled his hand from her pants.   
“Fuck.” She gasped, the electricity in her body fading as Jensen let go of her. The sound of Jensen’s belt jingling had her blinking her eyes open. She didn’t have time to react before his hands were on her hips again. He pulled down her leggings and panties just below the knee and bent her over. Her hands fell on the back of the couch just in time to catch her fall.   
“I missed this view.” Jensen huffed as he ran his cock through her folds before pressing into her entrance.   
“Mhm, just move.” She pushed back against him. Their time was limited and he was wasting it. “Patience is a virtue you know.” He smacked a hand against her ass, the sting shooting to her core and causing her pussy to clench around him. Jensen growled in response, the action only encouraging him to move faster.   
“Ha!” The sound that left her came from deep in her chest and she couldn’t have helped it even if she wanted to. They were in no position to be discussing virtues. Jensen gripped both hands on her hips, pulling her back to him hard in response as he thrust forward.   
“Fuck, baby you’re so tight.” She didn’t trust her voice any longer, opting to just nod. The coil was tightening inside her and her whole body was vibrating. It was like she no longer recognized herself when they had sex. Never before had she been able to let loose so easily, let alone find her peak so quickly. Jensen had awoken something inside her she never thought was possible, but here she was, ready to come in no time.   
Sensing she was close, Jensen put an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. He snaked his fingers down and rubbed against her clit in tight circles. Her hands flew to his forearm grounding herself as her body convulsed, trying to flee from the stimulation.   
“Shit shit shit.” Jensen cursed as her orgasm brought him to his own. He pulled himself from her just in time to release himself on her ass.  
“Hold on.” He put himself back into his briefs before grabbing a dish towel. He cleaned her up before helping her pull her leggings back into place. She turned to him, her lip caught between her teeth as she watched him fix his jeans.   
“Was that fast enough?” He grinned when he caught her staring at him. He checked the watch on his wrist, making sure neither of them were late.   
“Mhmm. Yup.” She closed her eyes with a sigh and bobbed her head.   
“Good. Now go. I’ll see you on set.” He playfully swatted her behind to get her moving.   
“Yes, sir.” She mocked a salute to him, winking when she caught the slight rise of his one eyebrow from her words. As she pulled open the door and peeked around for signs of people, she committed his response to memory, ready to use that one later.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader confides in a friend and gets a taste of Valentine's Day with Jensen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have much to say here except thank you so much for your continued support. I love reading your reactions and thoughts, it gets me excited to finish writing. Words can't express my gratitude, xo Alex

People were rushing down the street, umbrellas in hand or poncho’s over their coats. The rain was pouring in downtown Manhattan. As she watched them rush to wherever it was they had to be, she was thankful that her company had sent a car for her. It was the little things like no longer needing to ride the subway when in New York that she was still trying to get used to. As her company grew, they had been able to afford more and more of these little assets. Which today meant she didn’t have to rush to her photoshoot in the cold rain. It was a good reminder to count her many blessings in life. 

The studio was tucked on the corner, only a simple etching on the window to indicate what lay inside. Her driver rushed out of the car and helped her from the backseat, having somehow procured an umbrella without her noticing in his walk around the hood. He walked her to the door and promised to see her later that afternoon. 

“Ah, Miss Padalecki! Good to see you again.” The receptionist greeted her as she entered the industrially decorated studio. 

“You as well, Penny.” She nodded as Penny came around the front desk to guide her upstairs. The quiet bubble of the elevator burst into the chaos that was the set. There were people running around setting up computers and lighting. There were others setting up the lush greenery for the backdrop and doing other things she couldn’t quite make out.

“Food table is back there with various snacks and what not. In your dressing room is a mini fridge with water and juices. If you need anything else, just ask Kelsey, she is your assistant for today.” Penny indicated a young brunette over by the food. “Well, I’ll let you get to it.” 

Y/n muttered a thank you before disappearing into the large dressing room. There were racks of clothing hung about and lighted vanities on the far wall. She noticed the refrigerator that Penny had told her about. It was all a little overwhelming. This was her first time modeling for her line, hell it was her first time on a photoshoot set. All of the other ones she had just received the final shots to approve with her marketing team. 

“Y/n!” The squeal of her name had her spinning around, her eyes meeting a heavily pregnant Ashley.

“Oh, my! Look at you! How are you feeling?” She asked as she embraced the woman. 

“Like a whale. Everything is swollen and that pregnancy glow is only obvious to other people. I want to die.” Ashley placed her arm around Y/n’s shoulder and guided her to the couch. 

“Well, I think you look as amazing as ever. I know this will be a lot so I thank you for being here.” 

Ashley rolled her eyes before grinning at her. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Are you excited?”

“I’m nervous, being in front of a real camera is nerve wracking. I’m just glad that I get to have a pro here next to me.” Y/n crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap as she answered honestly. She had done small ‘shoots’ for her instagram, but nothing on this level. Here she had an assistant for christ’s sake. Really, she was struggling to wrap her head around it.

“You’ll kill it, trust me.”

“I hope so.”

****

Her morning started out with wardrobe. They went through a few outfits that had been picked out and made sure everything fit properly. The way the clothes were hugging her curves had her wishing she took everything to a tailor. It would be something she would look into later. Then they were set down for hair and makeup. That was a whole other experience in of itself. She was definitely not used to being on the other side of a makeup brush in this context. In the end, it was a good time, getting pampered for once. She had someone teasing her hair when she got a text. 

**I forgot how quiet it was around here before you showed up.**

Jensen’s message had her smiling to herself. He was such a cornball sometimes. It was surprising to her at first, being one of those things that she didn’t expect from him. 

** _I haven’t even been gone 24 hours and you’re already missing me?_ **

**I miss you when I go home at night…**

A small chuckle fell from her lips at his reply. Butterflies were fluttering in her chest at the simplest sentence. It was hard to deny to herself how hard she had fallen for him. And they had only been ‘seeing’ each other for about a month. The whole thing was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. So much more than just her emotions were invested in this one.

“Is everything okay over there?” Ashley’s voice from the chair next to her snapped her from her thoughts. 

“Hmmm, yeah.” She had little luck controlling the stupid smile on her face and it did not go unnoticed by Ashley. 

“Alright,” She adjusted herself in her own chair so her whole body was turned towards Y/n. “Spill.” 

“Spill what?” Y/n tried to play it off, but the blood rushing to her cheeks was betraying her. 

“About what or who has you grinning like an idiot over there.” Ashley’s gaze flickered to her phone then back to Y/n, her eyebrows raised as she waited for an answer. Y/n’s gaze flitted to the women still messing with her hair and she bit her lip. Ashley followed her gaze and politely asked the women to leave them for a moment. 

Y/n took a deep breath, she figured she could trust her secret with Ashley. She knew better than anyone about keeping as much of a private life as you can. Besides, it wasn’t like she would ever have a conversation with her brother. “I’ve been seeing this guy.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, and it’s been going well. He treats me great, he’s funny and he’s the biggest cheese ball I’ve ever met.” She explained, her grin growing even wider than it already was. Relief washed over her at being able to express to someone how truly happy she has been. 

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.” A look of concern washed of Ashley’s features. 

“I just… I can’t really talk to anybody about it, at least not yet. It’s still too new, we are still figuring each other out.” Y/n paused, her lips pursing as she thought about how to word this next part. “If anyone knew, it could be chaostrophic for both of us. There are people I don’t want to hurt if I don’t have to, ya know? If we don’t make it, I don’t want it to affect anyone but us.”

“It can’t be that bad?” She could see the gears turning in Ashley’s mind. 

“I don’t know how people are going to react, and if it’s bad, it doesn’t just affect me. It affects him too.” Ashley was silent as she mulled over her words. There really wasn’t anything else she could say to get Ashley to understand where she was without coming right out and telling her. And to be honest, right now, she could use a third party input. “I… I’ve been seeing Jensen.” Y/n squinted as she uttered her secret, bracing herself for Ashley’s reaction. 

“Ackles?” Y/n nodded, still timid. “Oh, well now I understand.”

“Are we being completely dumb?” Y/n was practically begging for her opinion at this point. 

“No, not completely. It’s obvious how happy you are, and if it’s going that well, then really, you owe it to yourself to be happy.” There was no judgement coming from her friend, which she was thankful for. Ashley’s words made her feel a little better about the path they were down right now. They just needed a little more time. 

“Thank you, really.” 

“No problem, now let’s go get some shots that’ll have him drooling.” She stood carefully, cradling her bump. Y/n laughed at her sudden change in demeanor. There was now way she would ever be able to repay Ashley for her help today, because to even quantify it would be impossible. 

“That’s actually a good idea.” Y/n chewed on the inside of her cheek as the idea brewed inside her head. She had wanted to share a few behind the scenes on her instagram already, so why not take a few extra to send to Jensen. 

“Okay, I don’t want to know. I’m just gonna go… somewhere else.” Ashley pointed over her shoulder and out the door before turning and heading out. 

Y/n did a few behind the scenes videos and posted them to her stories before heading over to the large mirror. Positioning herself in the light, Y/n draped the robe low on her shoulders and stuck her left leg out of the opening. Just enough skin was showing for Jensen to enjoy, but not enough to make it a full nude photo. She snapped a few photos before picking the best one to send to Jensen, a devilish smile on her lips.

****

Fake car lights continued to pass by behind the boy’s heads even after the director called cut. They were currently adjusting for sound before finishing the boy melodrama scene that would end the episode they were currently filming. Trish had her head stuck into the passenger window as she dabbed Jared’s face for shine. Jensen chuckled to himself as he thought about just how bad Jared tended to sweat, even when it was below freezing outside. 

The vibrating of his phone in his pocket stole his attention. He pulled it out and unlocked the screen without reading the notification. The picture filled most of his screen, throwing him off guard. A rough cough forced itself from his throat as his head nearly hit the roof of the impala. Jensen’s fingers flustered to close his messages when both Trish and Jared turned their heads towards him. 

“Dude, are you good over there?” Jared’s eyes were narrowed as he questioned him.

“Uh, peachy. I’ll be right back, I’ve gotta hit the head real quick.” Jensen leapt from the car, his phone secure in his fist as he rushed to the nearest bathroom. He was dialing her number before the door closed behind him. Y/n answered on the second ring. 

“Hey you.” Her voice was even, without a care in the world.

“That’s all you have to say? ‘Hey you’?” Jensen huffed, running a hand down his face.

“Okay, how about ‘I miss you too’?” She tried and Jensen could almost see the grin on her face. He shuffled around in the bathroom.

“That’s a little better.” Jensen was silent for a moment as he thought. “You know your brother was right next to me right?” 

“What? Oh god please tell me he did not see that. That’s probably the worst way he could find out about us.” The facade had dropped and Jensen could hear the sudden panic in her voice. 

“No, you’re good.”

“Well Jesus, Jensen, start with that next time.” She whined and Jensen smiled to himself. He had successfully gotten her back. 

“Consider it payback for the situation now in my pants that I can’t take care of till tonight.” Jensen absentmindedly adjusted himself in his jeans as he chastised her.

“If only there was someone there who could help you with that.” She purred, her voice dropping. Jensen cursed himself, she was so not helping him right now, but he suspected that was her angle. 

“Call you tonight?” He offered. She hummed in agreement. “Okay well I need to get back out there or they’ll think I’m pooping. And you need to get back to your shoot. Bye Lucifer.” 

Y/n snorted a laugh, her goodbye coming out between small laughs. “Bye Winchester.”

****

They were officially in the dead of winter. February always brought an interesting twist into the winter weather, this year bringing more snow to the great city of Vancouver than December and January combined. Y/n had officially had her fix. It was pretty to see every now and again, but for the life of her she couldn’t understand how people choose to live in these places. The secret was the natives didn’t know either.

The set was blanketed with the gross kind of snow today too. It was heavy and wet and only there to piss off people heading out for a long Valentine’s weekend. She envied them though, at least they were able to spend time with their significant other. Today, she was stuck at work until late. Stupid night shoots.

Her chin was tucked into her scarf as she headed for the makeup trailer. The heat inside enveloped her body as she entered, causing her to shiver in the sudden temperature change. Trish turned on her when she heard the door open. 

“Good morning grumpy.” Trish teased as she took in the frown on the bundled woman’s face.

Y/n frowned even more as she worked off her coat. “Only a few more weeks of this and then I can go home to some goddamn sunshine.” 

“That’s the spirit.” A small laugh accompanied Trish’s words before her face split into an even wider grin. “You got something this morning.” Trish tilted her head towards Y/n’s station. She had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t even noticed the large bouquet sitting in front of the mirror. Only it wasn’t your typical Valentine’s arrangement. It was a tiered vase filled with an array of succulents mixed with a little pink and white flowers that she didn’t know the name of. There was a tag hanging from the front that read ‘ _ life would succ without you _ ’. She reached for the card as she finished pulling off her hat and scarf and flipped it over. It had one last handwritten note followed by a drawn tiny heart,  _ ‘To making it count’ _ . 

“So, who is sending you flowers?” The look on Trish’s face told Y/n that she thought she was suddenly going to be in on some big secret. Jensen was smart though, making the card inconspicuous enough that she could play it off, while still throwing in a her favorite line from her favorite movie that she had forced him to watch with her. She had gone into one long monologue that night on why she loved that movie so much without meaning to. When she finished she was sure he was going to think she was bat shit crazy, but he was only grinning at her. Jensen told her how much he enjoyed listening to her talk about what she was passionate about. It was not something someone had ever told her before, and she was sure in that moment, no man would ever live up to Jensen Ackles.

“Uh, it’s from Ashley Graham. It’s a little joke from our photo shoot a few weeks ago.” She handed Trish the card and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible as she read it over.

“Oh, that’s really nice.” Trish handed her back the card and Y/n slipped it into her back pocket. “I thought maybe you had a secret boy toy sending you flowers.” 

“What?” Y/n nearly dropped her camera that she had begun to unpack. “Why would you think that?” 

Trish shrugged, doing little to hide the smirk on her face. “No reason. Well, except for the fact that you’ve been all smiley and happy the past few weeks, so I thought... you know…” 

“Yeah, I mean things have been really good with the business and dare I say it, spending time with my brother. I’m just happy.” Y/n hoped that her voice remained even as she tried to explain away her behavior. She hadn’t realized that everyone could see how down she was at the end of the year. And here she thought she had been keeping it together so well. 

“Okay…” Trish drew out the word and Y/n wasn’t sure she had her convinced. The door to the trailer popped open as Trish continued. “Are you sure you didn’t get laid?”

“Trish!” Jared and Jensen paused in the doorway, unsure of what they had just walked into. Trish failed in her attempts to hide her laughter as she went back to rifling through the makeup at her station. 

“I seriously do not even want to know.” Jared grimaced. He plopped down in his seat at Trish’s station. Jensen narrowed his eyes as Y/n turned, her face red, and went back to setting up her camera. “What’s with the camera, smalls?”

“Hmm? Oh, it’s for my channel. Your fans are greedy little buggers and they want to see what a day in my life on set is like. I got permission from the studio, I just can’t post the video until after this episode airs. Which is fine because it’ll probably take me that long to edit it anyway.” She explained as she hit the record button. Her doing Jensen’s makeup would make for a good montage later. Jensen sat down behind her, this time his one eyebrow raised. 

“Hey now, they are not greedy, they are passionate.” He defended the fanbase that they had come to know and love. 

“I meant no disrespect. I am one of those passionate fans, I just happen to have an exclusive in and I am choosing to share it with the rest of the family.” Y/n paused and bit her lip. “Before they hunt me down and kill me for it.” 

“Y/n, don’t you think that’s dramatic?” Jared was now trying not to laugh from his seat. 

“No, I don’t. It’s very easy to find basic public information on the internet, okay? Two seconds on the Travis County website and they can find all three of our addresses.” Mostly, she was kidding, but she wasn’t wrong. Some people didn’t have boundaries, and while she knew that the majority of the fans have much better things to do, she recognized that every tree had a few bad apples. 

“Alright, no more internet for you.” Jared teased, the rest of the group in the trailer joining in the laughter. 

“Laugh it up, but don’t come crying to me when they show up on your doorstep.” She sang as she began her work. Jared chose to ignore her, instead changing the subject and striking up conversation with Trish. 

Trish and Y/n had a little more work to do today than usual, needing to make up Jared and Jensen’s faces for a post fight scene. It meant some fun bruises and a couple of well placed cuts. The crew was bound to be in the holiday spirit today, which would make for some good footage for her video too. She only hoped it would help the day go by quicker. It sucked that it was Valentine’s Day and she couldn’t spend it with Jensen. Sure it was a stupid Hallmark holiday, but that was all part of it’s charm. Being stupid and gooey and love sick with your significant other. But she had to spend the whole day sitting in an uncomfortable chair, waiting for the director to call cut so she could fix Jensen’s makeup every now and then. It was moments like these that she wished that they could just be a normal couple. 

“Meet you in wardrobe?” Jared smacked Jensen’s shoulder a little too hard, jumbling the man and causing Y/n to mess up the line she was making. 

“Jared, he’s not meeting you anywhere if you keep messing up my work.” Y/n hissed, spinning around to grab a tissue. 

“Sorry, smalls.” He flashed his sister a sheepish smile as he followed Trish out of the trailer. Y/n dabbed the tissue into a little bit of water and wiped away the mistake on Jensen’s cheek. 

“So,” Y/n jumped as Jensen’s fingers met the inside of her thigh. “You’re… you’re getting laid?” He grinned up at her as his fingers danced further up her thigh. 

“Mmm.” Y/n hummed in response, fighting the grin that threatened to split across her face.

“Anyone I should be worried about?” 

“Um, probably. According to Trish I’ve been super smiley lately.” She grinned as she finally met his stare. 

“Huh… This guy must really know what he’s doing then.” His fingers danced up and down her leg some more as he waited for her answer. 

“God, yes.” Y/n moaned, rolling her eyes back in her head for dramatic effect. She made quick work of fixing Jared’s mistake, patting Jensen’s cheek lightly when she finished. 

“All done?” He asked.

“Yes sir.” Y/n stepped back as he stood up. He towered over her, pushing her back until her butt hit the counter. His hands came up to cup her jaw, his one thumb tugging her lower lip out. 

“Did you like the flowers?” He asked, his voice low.

“I love them, especially since they will last longer than three days.” She giggled. He had chosen well, giving her something that she could keep for a while, so long as she remembered to water them. “Oh, and I got something for you.” Y/n chirped, spinning around to search through her bag. It didn’t take long for her to find what she was looking for and she was back facing Jensen. She held up the large bag in her hand, dangling it in front of his face.

“Holy crap, that has to be the biggest bag I’ve ever seen! Where do you even find one this size?” Jensen chuckled, taking the monstrous bag of gummy bears from her. 

“I have my ways.” She assured him, not willing to disclose her secret. Jensen leaned into her, ghosting his lips across hers before kissing her slowly. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

“Happy Valentine’s, Jay.” 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected guest at Jensen’s birthday party causes an even more unexpected shift in his relationship with the reader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so pumped, we’ve got the ball rolling again. I really hope you guys enjoy this part and as always, I appreciate the feedback. Without you guys I would’ve never finished this. Now look at us, we are closing in on the end. Part 17 is almost done already and this girl is fighting the urge to write a sequel. More on that later though... xoxo Alex.
> 
> Ps. If you have followed me on tumblr for any amount of time whatsoever, you know that I am an avid supporter of all the SPN women, especially the wives. I hate that I have to say this, but this is completely a work of fiction and should be treated as such. I mean no harm to Danneel or her beautiful family.

Jared had been planning this big birthday bash for Jensen since New Year’s. He wanted to celebrate one last time with all their friends and coworkers before they went their separate ways for the last time. There was also a viewing party being planned for the finale, but Jared was afraid that would be filled with too much emotion to be able to truly enjoy. No, he preferred one night of nothing but fun and no worries of the future. This party was as much for everyone invited as it was for Jensen. 

Y/n had been surprised when she received her invite from Jared. She didn’t exactly consider herself a part of the family that this cast and crew had created. After all she had only been there for a hand full of weeks. Jared had been insistent that that was not the case. He really wanted her there. 

So here she was, dolled up in a tight black dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline and an updo that took her two hours to complete, her clutch tight in her hand as she followed the signs through the venue to the ballroom that had been rented for tonight. She didn’t quite understand the queasy feeling in her gut. Maybe it had to do with the fact that this was her boyfriend's birthday party, but since no one actually knew that they were dating, they wouldn’t be able to spend any real time together. It wasn’t that she would be without people to talk to, but as cheesy as it sounded, she didn’t want to spend time with anyone else. They had officially been dating for two months now, and things were going great. Personally, she didn’t see it ending anytime soon nor did she want it to. As much as running around has been fun, this moment right now had her wishing they were a typical couple. 

Music could be heard behind the doors before she pushed them open. The ballroom very much resembled a typical wedding reception inside, well, minus tacky flower centerpieces on the tables. Jared had commissioned The Impala’s to play tonight and they were currently playing some rock song she didn’t recognize from a small stage on the far wall. Her eyes scanned over the people dancing and others chatting in groups when she landed on her target. There was a bar with a beautiful display of liquor on the wall behind it. Tonight was an alcohol night for sure. She bee-lined it there, quickly gaining the attention of the bartender and ordering her usual. 

Her nails clicked against the wood as she watched the crowd move on around her. The bartender set her alcohol down and she thanked him, taking a heavy drink from the small glass. A soft vibration from where she had placed her clutch under her arm interrupted her thoughts. With a frown, she pulled her phone from the small bag. There was a missed message from Jensen. 

**You look beautiful**

Her head snapped up and began scanning the room for any sign of the man. It didn’t take her long to spot at all, both him and her brother towering over most of the rest of the crowd. He had a grin on his face when he caught her eye. 

** _You don’t look so bad yourself. A tux is a nice touch._ **

**I had to try and keep up with you somehow. That dress is… you know you aren’t playing fair, right?**

Y/n bit her lip, having received the exact reaction from him she had been hoping. 

** _I think you seriously underestimate how hot you look right now. Too bad I opted for panties tonight, because they are ruined._ **

The message barely had time to notify her that it had been sent before those three little bubbles popped up on her screen. She took another sip of her drink as her belly flipped in anticipation of his reply. 

**Fuck, you’re killing me here babe. This party has just started.**

** _I know… leaves me plenty of time._ **

Jensen licked his lips across the room as he read her message, his eyes immediately flicking back to hers with a look that was half desperate and half warning her to be careful. She winked at him and downed the last of her drink. The sound of her name had her halting her attempt to order another. 

“There she is!” Y/n turned back towards the crowd. Trish was headed her way, a guy Y/n didn’t recognize in tow. 

“Hi Trish!” Y/n embraced the woman as she came up to the bar. Y/n eyed the guy awkwardly standing off behind her. Trish noticed her gaze and smiled.

“Y/n, this is Chris. He works on the lighting crew, mostly night stuff and what not. Chris, this is Jared’s baby sis, Y/n.” Trish put her hand on Chris’s shoulder and urged him closer. Y/n offered her hand to him and he shook it before quickly shoving back into his pockets.

“Yeah, or course. Everybody knows Jared’s little sister. Made quite a name for yourself.” He shrugged his shoulders. His words themselves were not rude, it was the inflection in his tone when he said it. It put an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Awkward tension quickly filled the silence that followed his words. A loud clap from Trish broke through it after what felt like years.

“Well, I have to grab those drinks, talk to you guys later.” She spun around, pretending not to hear either of them call after her. 

“I don’t know what she expects.” Chris grimaced as he turned back to Y/n. 

“Probably for you to offer to buy me a drink.” Y/n had to not laugh out loud at the idea. The fact that Trish would even think they would even get along was wild to her and the two of them had barely said two sentences to each other.

Chris scoffed. “It’s an open bar.” Y/n didn’t even hide her eye roll.

“Well don’t do me any favors.” She spit out, shooing him away like a cat that had just jumped on her counter. 

“Whatever,” Chris mumbled before disappearing back into the sea of people around them. The next time she saw Trish, she was going to kill her for this. What had she been thinking? Y/n doubted that man had ever had a civil conversation with anyone. It would certainly explain why she had never met him before. Everyone had been trying to save her from the experience she just had. Y/n signaled the bartender for another, fully committed to not leaving the spot she currently occupied. Once the bartender acknowledged her, she dropped her head in her hands with a sigh. 

“Same old Chris, it appears.” A soft voice came from her right, following her acknowledgment with a chuckle. Y/n snapped her head up, turning to see who was talking to her. Her stomach dropped almost instantly. If she hadn’t recognized the woman’s face, her fiery red hair would have been her dead give away. There, not even five feet from her was Danneel Harris. She had on a strappy gold sequin dress that fell all the way to the floor. Her hair was styled over her left shoulder, held in place by no doubt a hundred bobby pins. Danneel held a large glass of red wine in her one hand as she leaned against the bar as well. 

Y/n took a deep breath to try and steady the hammering in her chest. She forced a smile on her face. “Uh, yeah. I was wondering why I hadn’t meant him yet. Then I realized my brother had been doing me a favor.” 

Danneel laughed with a knowing nod. “I’m Danneel.” She offered her hand. 

“Right, of course. I’m Y/n… Padalecki, Y/n Padalecki.” Y/n tried to shake the fuzziness from her mind as she shook Danneel’s hand. 

“I know, you’ve done some amazing work. Congratulations on the business by the way.” Danneel had an honest smile on her face. 

“Oh, thank you. It’s kind of surreal if I’m being honest.” Y/n admitted, her guard coming down as she grew more comfortable with the woman next to her. 

“You’ve got this. Just stay clear of Trish’s hookups and you’ll do just fine.” She put her hand on Y/n’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “It was nice meeting you, take care of yourself.” 

“You too.” Y/n called after the woman as she breezed past her and into the crowd. Y/n watched her move in between the moving bodies, eventually finding her target. Danneel wormed her way into Jared and Jensen’s group, position herself right next to Jensen. 

Just when she thought maybe she would get the racing of her heart to calm down, Danneel took it upon herself to try and crush it between her fingers. It was unfair of Y/n to think that, considering there was no way Danneel could have known about her and Jensen. But it was Danneel for Christ’s sake. She was tiny, and beautiful and an actress. Essentially everything that the world expected out of a wife for Jensen. That’s why when they had announced their engagement, everyone was overjoyed for them. What came as a surprise was when that engagement had been called off. Y/n never had figured out why they called it quits either. Honestly, she had been too afraid to ask her brother, considering it wasn’t his business to share, but still, her and the rest of the world were beyond curious. 

Y/n downed half of the second drink as it was set down in front of her. She never once took her eyes off of the small circle of people in the center of the room. They were all laughing at something, Danneel equally as transfixed on Jensen as Y/n was on the two of them. That’s why she didn’t see the woman sneak up next to her. 

“Hey, what happened with Chris?” Y/n jumped as a hand fell on her shoulder. Her eyes shifted towards Trish for only a moment before going back to where Jensen was now talking to Danneel. 

“Trish, come on.” Y/n glanced back at the woman, her gaze incredulous, before going straight back to Danneel and Jensen. “He was a total tool. I’m honestly offended that you even thought we would get along.”

“Well, you both could use a little relaxation and I thought may you could hate fuck.”

Y/n whipped her head back to Trish. “Jesus, Trish! What the fuck?”

“Hey, I’m just trying to be helpful.”

“Trish, I love you, but I don’t know how to make this any clearer for you. I’m good… happy. And I am certainly not that desperate to get some.” Y/n’s voice trailed off when she heard loud laughter coming from the group she had lost focus on. 

“Fine, I get it.” Trish followed Y/n’s gaze when she realized she was no longer paying attention to her, a look of equal confusion crossing her features as she happened upon Y/n’s distraction. 

“Did Jared invite her?” Y/n tried to keep her tone nonchalant when she noticed Trish had caught on to her fixation. 

“No, I don’t think so. The two of them still run in some of the same circles, so she probably heard about it. Jensen was pretty messed up after they called it off. I don’t think Jared would do that to him.” Trish answered honestly. “I just can’t believe she actually came. She was the one who left him, after all.”

“Really?” Y/n hadn’t known that particular piece of information. After all, her only reputable source was Jared, and she hadn’t bothered with that. 

“Yeah, said she couldn’t do the long distance thing. But with the show being over, who knows what will happen. They were really happy at one point, they could get it back.” Trish shrugged and walked off, unaware of the stab wound her words had left in Y/n’s chest.

“Who knows…” Y/n mumbled to herself. The last thing she wanted to believe was that Jensen would just go crawling back to his ex the second she looked back his way. But the two of them had been engaged, and that’s not some small thing. They had really loved each other. Y/n and Jensen hadn’t even come close to saying those three little words. The knot in her stomach clenched the more she thought about it. Her anxiety was rearing its ugly head, and as much as she knew it, she couldn’t focus enough to try and control it. 

At this point, Y/n wasn’t even trying to hide her staring. It was rude, she knew that, but she just couldn’t stop herself. Her chest felt empty as she watched the two of them laugh at something and then, God help her, Danneel put her hand on Jensen’s upper arm. 

Y/n’s gut dropped, and she shook her head to try and clear it. This was insane! Y/n was not a jealous person, nor did she ever want to be. She had worked so many years to grow out of the insecurities that had been ground into her. In this moment, after coming so far, she couldn’t, no she wouldn’t let them win again. It wasn’t fair to her. 

Jensen looked up then, stopping when he noticed her watching them. He smiled at her, the expression warm. Y/n tried to return it, but she knew her smile was tight. Jensen’s brow furrowed slightly before he recovered. He winked at her before ducking out of the group, and making his way to the stage. He got Bob Singer’s attention as the current song they were playing came to an end. Bob knelt down on the stage to hear Jensen. He nodded eagerly and Jensen followed the length of the stage to climb the stairs on the side. 

“Looks like we have a special request from the birthday boy himself. Ladies and gents, please welcome to the stage, Mr. Jensen Ackles!” Bob hollered into the microphone. The crowd erupted into a roar as Bob stepped back from the microphone and let Jensen take over. 

“Firstly, I just wanted to thank all of you for coming tonight. I thought I could maybe sing something for all of you, if you would let me.” Again, cheers erupted from the crowd. Y/n was only growing more curious as Jensen continued. “Great, well this is a song that I’m sure you all know. I recently rediscovered it, and it has become my new favorite. I can’t seem to get it out of my head. Anyway, here you go.” 

Jensen turned on the band, signaling them to start. It didn’t take more than a second for Y/n to recognize the tune they were playing, and even less time for the tears to form in her eyes. 

_ I could stay awake just to hear you breathing _

_ Watch you smile while you are sleeping _

_ While you're far away and dreaming _

_ I could spend my life in this sweet surrender _

_ I could stay lost in this moment forever _

_ Ooh, every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure _

A half laugh half sob erupted from her chest as she remembered their first date at the ice rink. Jensen was officially the cheesiest, sweetest, most amazing man she had ever had the pleasure of knowing. He took this stupid, cliched song and made it  _ their _ song. They had a song. It was so high school, but so adorable at the same time. 

_ Lying close to you feeling your heart beating _

_ And I'm wondering what you're dreaming _

_ Wondering if it's me you're seeing _

_ Then I kiss your eyes _

_ And thank God we're together _

_ And I just want to stay with you in this moment forever _

_ Forever and ever _

He got the whole crowd engaged, the lot of them swaying with the music. Meanwhile, she was wiping away the tears on her cheeks, careful to not mess up her makeup. 

_ And I don't want to miss one smile _

_ I don't want to miss one kiss _

_ Well, I just want to be with you, right here with you _

_ Just like this _

_ I just want to hold you close _

_ I feel your heart so close to mine _

_ And just stay here in this moment _

_ For all of the rest of time _

In typical Jensen fashion, he embellished the ending of the song as it called for. The whole room was entranced. She hoped it would keep them from noticing how he kept looking back at her, how he was singing to her. It was a bold move, but honestly, at that moment, she didn’t care if everyone found out. Jensen was singing a song for  _ her. _

_ Don't want to close my eyes _

_ Don't want to fall asleep _

_ 'Cause I'd miss you, babe _

_ And I don't want to miss a thing _

_ 'Cause even when I dream of you _

_ The sweetest dream will never do _

_ I'd still miss you, babe _

_ And I don't want to miss a thing _

The melody faded out, and Jensen bowed out from the stage. The band thanked him for the little treat before getting back into their set. As Jensen disappeared from the stage, she broke from the small trance she was in, realizing quickly she needed to fix her face before anyone saw her. She rushed from the ballroom in search of a bathroom. The first one she came to had a small line coming from the door and she growled under her breath before continuing on. She stopped a server who pointed her towards the next closest bathroom. It was tucked in a corner near the entrance to the kitchen. Y/n was leaning into the door when a hand gripped her bicep and pushed her into the bathroom.

“Hey!” She protested, attempting to pull her arm free from the grip. Her words fell flat as she realized it was Jensen pushing her into the bathroom. He dropped her arm and twisted the lock on the bathroom door as it shut. Y/n watched in confusion as he bent down to check the stalls. “Jensen?”

Jensen turned to her once he was satisfied they were alone, his smile faltering when he noticed the tear tracks down her cheeks. “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

Y/n was taken aback, her mind taking a second to catch up to what he was talking about. She walked to the large mirror by the vanity and plucked a tissue to dab at her face. “Nothing, I’m good.” She chuckled at the irony. 

“Are you sure about that?” Jensen came up behind her, one hand slipping around her to rest on her hip as he made eye contact with her in the mirror. 

“Yeah.” She spun around to him and slipped her arms around his neck. “You sang a song for  _ me _ on  _ your  _ birthday. I’m great.” And she wanted to believe her own words, but something was still working together that knot in her belly. 

“I did? Here I thought I just liked that song.” He quirked up the corner of his mouth as he pulled her closer to his chest. Y/n grimaced, the subtle movement not going unnoticed by Jensen. Normally, she loved his teasing, it was a part of their banter that made their relationship unique to any other one she’s ever had. Right now, she couldn’t help but take his words to heart. For the life of her, she wished she wouldn’t have, but that weird feeling in her gut was too strong right now. 

“Babe, I know what’s going on in that head of yours.” Jensen’s eyes pierced into hers before he kissed her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin for a moment. God, she hated how well he read her sometimes. For once, she would like to not be such an easy read. “I didn’t know she was going to be here.” 

“I believe you.” Y/n’s shoulders dropped with her words.

“Jared didn’t know either. He’s not even sure how she found out about it, let alone why she flew all the way to Vancouver for one night.” He was trying to reassure her, but all she was hearing was that Danneel was determined to get him back, that she was here for what she had tossed away all those years ago. Y/n couldn’t blame her for that. Jensen was one of a kind. 

“She came back for you.” Y/n noted solemnly. 

“No, Danneel left me. Why would she be back now?” Jensen was honestly lost and Y/n almost felt bad for him. They really were two of a kind, neither one thinking that they were worth something. Not to mention it was obvious to everyone else in the room that she still loved him. 

“Jensen, you dedicated so much of your life to Supernatural and now that it’s over she thinks that you two can just pick up where you left off. That you can finally have that fairytale that she wanted in the first place because you’ll have more time for her.” Y/n’s tone was clipped, much to her dismay. She didn’t want to be short with him, but she also couldn’t believe that he could be that obtuse. Her hands slid down his neck and came to rest on his chest, a weak attempt to push him away from her. Jensen didn’t budge though, keeping her secure in his arms. 

“Y/n,” Jensen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “She’s too late. I got over her a long time ago. I moved on.” He squeezed her hips to emphasize who he had moved on with. “Honey, you and I… I’m in. I’m  _ all _ in.” 

The look in his eyes begged for her to not look away from him. The stinging grew in her nose as she fought back more tears. The swelling in her chest now disguising the rolling in her abdomen.

“Yeah?” Her voice was a broken whisper.

“Yes.” Jensen nodded his head, his features more serious than she had ever seen from him. He dipped into her, pressing his lips to hers gently, testing the waters. Her hands wrapped around the lapels of his tux, pulling him closer to her chest before finding their way back around his neck. With her encouragement Jensen put all his emotion into that kiss. Every unspoken word and promise. Every need and desire. He needed her to understand, to feel his truth. Jensen nipped at her lower lip, enticing her to open her mouth to him. She moaned in response to his actions, her body shivering as Jensen’s hands trailed up her sides. He ran his thumbs along the swell of her breasts, showing extra attention to her hardened nipples. 

Something had shifted, she could feel it in the electricity of the air around them. She could feel it in the way Jensen’s mouth moved against her own and how his hands gripped her tight. It wasn’t just about the hunger that had been between them since the beginning, it was something new entirely. Sure, she wanted to feel him, to feel his muscles ripple as fucked her, to feel the deep push and pull of him inside of her. But it was also about the emotion behind it. Jensen was here with her. He had chosen her, and he told her he would keep choosing her. 

“Is there a zipper on this thing?” Jensen growled in frustration as he ran his fingers across the fabric of her dress. 

“No, it’s a pullover dress.” She chuckled as Jensen dropped his head into her neck with a groan. 

“Guess we’ll make due then.” He nipped against her neck, his hands now finding their way to the hem of her dress. Jensen tugged it up around her hips as he sucked along her jaw. He let his tongue guide his movements across her collarbone and back up to just below her ear. 

“Jay,” She watched him with hooded eyes as he moved from her and dropped to his knees.

“Shh.” He urged her as tugged her thong down her legs. She stepped out of it, her belly dropping as she watched Jensen stuff the lacy material into his jacket pocket. Her pussy ached in anticipation as Jensen gripped her thighs and leaned forward to place a kiss to her lower belly. He wrapped his long fingers around her right knee and lifted her leg, urging it over his shoulder.

“Shit, shouldn’t we be doing this the other way around? It is your birthday after all.” The quiver in her voice betrayed the sincerity of her words. Right now, she couldn’t think of a better place for him to be. 

“Are you kidding me? Best birthday dessert I can think of.” He flashed her his signature smirk, before licking his lips. He placed another gentle kiss to the inside of her thigh before moving on to her sex. Jensen wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked just hard enough to send pleasure pulsing through her bones. Y/n cried out, the sound louder than she had anticipated, but at this point she didn’t care. All she cared about was Jensen and the fire building inside her. Her stomach clenched as Jensen continued his work. He was pro at reading her body at this point, and he had her higher than she thought possible in no time. 

Sweat was beading across her chest and neck as she watched the man between her legs. She braced herself against the counter with one hand, running the fingers of her other hand through the longer locks at the crown of Jensen’s head. 

“Jay,” She whined as he kept her just at the edge. Her body was so close and he knew it, a low growl emanating from the back of his throat finally pushing her over the edge. Y/n came with a deep huff of air, the heel of her shoe digging into Jensen’s back as her body rode out the high. 

“God,” He kissed her thigh again before lowering her quivering leg back to the ground. “You’re so fucking beautiful when you come.” She threw her head back and laughed as she allowed him to help her hop up onto the counter. 

“Don’t laugh at me.” He playfully chastised with a frown, his forehead scrunching together as he worked open his slacks. 

“Quit making jokes then.” She quipped, only half serious. Jensen paused his movements, his pants hanging open. Y/n could see how hard he was behind his briefs, the sight distracting her momentarily until she realized he had stopped what he was doing. Her eyes flickered back up to his, his expression now serious. 

Y/n/n,” He started with a sigh. He tugged her to the edge of the counter by her knees, fitting himself snug between her legs. “You are the most beautiful woman, inside and out, that I have had the pleasure of knowing. Please believe me when I say I’m the luckiest man in the world right now.” 

“Okay.” She nodded in agreement. The hurt in his voice had her feeling guilty for what she had said. It wasn’t her intention to hurt his feelings. For some reason, her self deprecating humor had found its way back so easily that she hadn’t even noticed what she had said until it was out of her mouth. 

Jensen searched her face for some indication that she may have been just saying what he wanted to hear. When he didn’t catch on to anything, he returned to removing himself from his pants, dropping them and his briefs to his thighs. Y/n grabbed his neck and pulled his lips back to his, her kiss hungry and sloppy as Jensen stoked himself a few times. He coated himself with her arousal before sinking slowly into her. He watched her as she grimaced when he stretched her out, her eyes never leaving the spot where he entered her. 

“You good?” He had to make sure she was set before he continued. She nodded to him, her fingers scratching his neck where she held onto him. Jensen hitched her left leg around his waist and the other he lifted into the crook of his elbow before he set up his rhythm. He took his time at first, reading her reaction to every movement and trying to commit the sounds coming from her mouth to memory. He never wanted to leave this moment. He never wanted to leave her. She had wormed her way into his heart without even trying, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Both of their faces were flushed as the air became heavier in the room. Neither could be bothered with the sweat trailing down either of their bodies, both too engrossed in the other. The feel of the others body against their own, and the way they just seemed to fit so perfectly together. This is certainly not what either had expected from this night, but then again they weren’t complaining either. 

“Fuck,” Jensen growled between clenched teeth. His movements began to become erratic as his instinct took over in search of his end. 

“I know, I’m right there, Jay. Come for me.” Jensen cut off her words, his lips hungrily searching out hers. She met his eagerness, both of them lost in the moment as they neared the edge. Jensen pulled her down onto him hard as he came, his cock pulsing deep inside her. He stilled for only a moment before continuing a few quick hard thrusts as his thumb rubbed tight circles on her clit. It was her undoing then, her nose scrunching and her mouth falling open in a silent scream. 

“Ah, jesus.” Jensen leaned into her as they both fought to control their rapid breathing. He tucked his face into her neck, inhaling the smell of perfume and sex on her skin. Her fingers slowly scratched the hairs at the base of his skull as she held him to her, content to listen to his heart beating in time with hers.

“Jensen,” Y/n reluctantly broke the silence in the room. They had already been gone too long, and she had one more thing she wanted to say to him before they parted ways. Jensen stood up to his full height and dropped her leg that he had in his arm as he pulled himself from her. “Jensen, I think it’s time we tell people, you know, about us.” 

“What?” He looked up at her as he tucked his button down back into his slacks. 

“I, well… don’t you think it’s time?” She hopped down from the counter, careful not to break her heels. A blush crept up on her face as she felt his cum drip down her thigh when she stood up straight. 

“Yeah, I do.” He agreed with a soft smile. Hell, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops, right now. He was high on her and he couldn’t be bothered to give a damn about any consequences. Jensen turned to her as she shimmied down the hem of her dress. He stepped up to her, leaning down to give her a quick peck on the lips. 

“Good, then it’s settled. We find the right time and we tell our family and friends.” Jensen felt his heart soar as he took in the smile now on her face. In that moment, he realized he would spend the rest of his life making sure she was happy, if only to see that smile on her face. Nothing else mattered more to him anymore than her happiness. 

“I can’t wait.” He agreed. Y/n reached into his jacket as he kissed her again, but Jensen caught her wrist before she could snag what she was looking for. 

“What are you doing?” He dropped his voice, his eyes narrowed as he grinned at her. 

“I’m grabbing my panties.” She stated matter of fact. Jensen tsked at her, shaking his head in mock disapproval, his playfulness taking back over the moment. 

“Consider them my birthday gift, besides you said it yourself, they were already ruined.” He grinned, releasing her wrist from his grasp. Her hands fell to her hips as she tried to determine if he was serious or not. 

“Jensen, come on.” She tried, reaching towards him again, but he smacked away her hand with a shake of his head. 

“I want you to be reminded of this moment all night. Everytime you feel my cum dripping down your thighs, I want you to think of me and how no one else can fuck you as good as I can.” Y/n couldn’t help the whimper that emanated from her throat at his words. She had to hand it to him, he was good. He knew exactly what to say to her. It was as if the two of them had been sleeping together for years, not weeks. There was no learning curve, they both just knew. 

“Fine, keep ‘em.” She relented, her hands slapping down against her thighs dramatically. 

“Thanks, babe.” Jensen moved to rush out of the bathroom, knowing people would be missing him by now. 

“Wait!” She called, rushing after him. He turned, puzzled. Y/n motioned for him to lean down, running her fingers through his hair as he did so. “There all better.” 

“What would I do without you?” He smiled wide.

“Crash and burn.” 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and the reader sit down to discuss how they will break it to Jared that they have been seeing each other but things don’t exactly go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure I have much to say here except one giant thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this wild ride. I love all the love and reactions. This one should be interesting ;) xo Alex

It was late in the afternoon when she made her way up to Jensen’s door, knocking against the wood with care. He pulled the door open in an instant, his shining smile greeting her. 

“You slip out okay?” He asked her as he stepped back to let her into his apartment. 

“Yeah, he was in the shower. I should receive a text from him any minute asking where I ran off to.” She toed off her shoes in the entry and tossed her coat on the back of the dining room chairs as she followed Jensen into his kitchen.

“Good. You hungry? I ordered some Mexican. Got here just before you did.” He moved to the other side of the island and began pulling items from the bag. 

“Please tell me you got queso?” She folded her hands in front of her chest and stuck out her lower lip.

“Of course I did. Only the best for my girl.” He winked as he pulled the queso from a different bag. When she reached to take it from him, he pulled back and raised it above his head. 

“Wha-” her words trailed off as she realized what he wanted from the smirk on his face. With a sigh, she reached both hands up to cup his face and pull his lips down to hers in a quick but heated kiss.

“Mmm, you keep that up and we might have to postpone dinner.” He said as she pulled her lips just a fraction of an inch from his. 

“Yeah… just means… we can work up… an appetite.” She said in between kisses. Jensen groaned, his defense dropping just enough for his hand to lower and she took the opportunity to snatch the queso from his grasp.

“Hey!” 

“Come on, you had to see that one coming.” She laughed as she turned away from him and grabbed the tortilla chips as well. 

“You're right, I should have and I can only be mad at myself.” He snaked one arm around her waist as he grabbed his burrito bowl with his free hand. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you later.” She winked at him before slipping out of his grasp and heading towards the couch in the living room. 

“I’m holding you to that.” He called after her before grabbing her bowl and following her into the living room. Y/n fell into the plump furniture, drawing her legs up under her and turning her body to face where Jensen was now seated next to her. He handed her food over as he settled in.

“So,” She started, digging into her meal. 

“So.” Jensen mocked her tone with one eyebrow raised.

“Come on, you know what I’m here to talk about. We’ve gotta settle this. Now, I don’t know about you, but I really don’t think that my parents are going to be an issue here. It’s Jared I’m concerned about.” She continued. Jensen nodded along as she spoke. She wasn’t wrong, Jared was the concern here, but he was more worried about himself rather than her.

“Jared really is not going to be happy, so I think we will have to ease him into it. Maybe even make him think it’s his idea.” Jensen stared at his bowl as he ate, waiting for her to shoot down his idea. He wasn’t even sure how he could possibly make that happen to begin with considering their conversation before Christmas. It was a pipe dream. 

“He just thinks of me as a little girl still, and the idea of me having sex freaks him out. He’s never liked any of my boyfriends, not really. But he knows you, that could work to our advantage…” Her voice trailed off as she thought more about it. “Or not.” Her nose scrunched as she frowned. On one hand Jared knew the kind of man that Jensen was, hell, he loved Jensen just as much as he loved Y/n. On the other hand though, Jensen broke the number one unspoken ‘bro code’ rule: don’t sleep with your friends' siblings. 

“‘Or not’ is probably a better guess.” Jensen bit his tongue as he contemplated his next move. He wasn’t sure what to tell her about his conversation with Jared. The fact was, he wasn’t sure how she was going to take it. Technically he hadn’t lied to her, he just never told her how bad it could all end or how her brother really felt about him simply flirting with her. Too bad he wasn’t sure she would see it that way. All he had wanted was the chance to try to get to know the beautiful woman haunting his dreams. Now, he was in way over his head.

“Probably. I say we just sit him down and tell him like it is.” Y/n couldn’t think of another way to do it. Blunt honesty was the most simple tactic. 

“Yeah, but when? Now? After we finish filming?” 

“After filming wraps up may be the best, because we don’t know how he is going to react. On the other hand, waiting longer may make it even worse.” Y/n sighed and put her bowl down on the coffee table. “I just wish we could freaking turn back time and never have hidden it from anyone. It would make this all so much easier.” 

“Yeah, me too. But we can’t, so we have to deal with what we’ve got.” Jensen leaned forward and put his own empty bowl down on the coffee table as well. He settled back into the couch, resting his arms across the back of it. 

After a moment, she spoke up again. “I blame you.” Her tone was matter of fact, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“What?” Jensen turned to her, his jaw slack. 

“I mean you are the one who begged me to go out on a secret date with you.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, and I seem to remember you begging for a lot more than that.” Jensen raised a single eyebrow at her. Her eyes moved to the way his tongue darted out to wet his lips, and she involuntarily bit the inside of her cheek. 

“Okay big guy, you just keep telling yourself that.” She rolled her eyes at him. Jensen pursed his lips, his nose scrunching up before he lunged at her. The two of them fell back against the couch when his hands found her sides and he began to tickle her. 

Y/n screeched before falling into a fit of giggles. “Uncle! Uncle!” She laughed in between breaths as she fought to stop his attack. Jensen kissed her neck before rising off of her with a triumphant smile. Y/n sat up with him, her head falling back as she continued to laugh. His stupid smile as he stared at her from across the couch caught her eye and she ceased her laughing fit. 

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Her brows furrowed as she blushed and reached for a napkin on the coffee table. Jensen grabbed her arm, halting her movements. He was chuckling again himself now.

“No, it’s just, I love watching you laugh.” His words nearly knocked her breath away, leaving this weird full, yet empty, feeling in her chest. It was corny as hell, but she had never had a man tell her that before. Guys just didn’t say those things, not unless they were trying to get laid. That was just it though, Jensen was completely unlike every other man she had ever known. She hated to say he was a good guy, but it was the truth. He was the best guy. 

“Jay,” She cocked her head before leaning back into him, catching his lips with hers. The kiss was soft and unurgent. Their lips moving with each other slowly and purposefully. She pulled away, a soft smile ghosting her lips. “That was super corny you know that?” 

“Eh, but it was true.” He shrugged with a smirk. His hand that had laid across the back of the couch pulled her back to him, his fingers pressing into her neck. This time the urgency coursed through her, heat pooling in her lower belly. She climbed onto his lap, their lips never parting. 

He opened his mouth to her, their tongues dancing as they got lost in each other. Her fingers splayed along his neck on either side, grounding herself to him. The few days worth of stubble across his jaw tickled the palms of her hands. She mewled as he trailed his mouth across her jaw and down her throat. The wet heat of his mouth against her pulse had her grinding her hips down into his. The excitement she felt was not nearly enough friction for her aching clit. 

“Can’t wait to get you out of these clothes, baby.” He whispered against her before nipping gently at the junction between her neck and collar bone. 

“Easy, Jay. No marks that I can’t hide with clothes remember.” She pulled his face back so she could look at him, a teasing smirk across her face. His eyes flicked lazily up to meet hers, the pupils blown wide, only a sliver of green peeking around the edges. She took a second to appreciate his long lashes and the multitude of freckles adorning his cheek bones. Jensen was a beautiful man in general, but up close was a whole other world. No man should be as pretty as he was. Attractive wasn’t a strong enough word to encompass all of Jensen, he was… incomprehensible. 

Jensen let out a groan and dropped his face into her chest. He nuzzled into her cleavage, eliciting a fit of giggles from her. “Oh my god, what are you? Fourteen?” She tugged him away from her, both of them now laughing. 

“Only around you, baby.” He threw her a wink before kissing her again. Y/n moaned into his mouth as her hands found their way down his chest and to his belt. She undid the clasp and his jeans button without breaking away from him, allowing her fingers to ghost over his still clothed erection. He hissed on contact, his teeth instinctively nipping against her lower lip. Y/n loved when he did that and she was obsessed with figuring out all the ways in which she could get him to do it. It never failed to send shockwaves through her body and straight to her core.

Jensen’s hands traveled along the waistband of her sweatpants before moving up her sides underneath her cotton t-shirt. He ran the pads of his thumbs across the cups of her bra, her nipples reacting underneath the thin fabric. A vibration suddenly flashed through her body from under her thigh. The surprise sensation had her pussy clenching around nothing. 

“Did you like that?” He laughed at the moan that fell from her lips. She blushed, not wanting to admit to it, though she couldn’t exactly deny it. He kissed her cheek before pulling his phone from his pocket and tossing it aside somewhere on the couch. 

“Not even gonna check it?” She asked, her thumbs rubbing across the scruff on his jaw. 

“Nah, not when I have you in my lap.” 

“Awe, keep saying nice things.” She crossed her arms and gripped the edge of her tee, ready to lift it off of her. She held steady, waiting for Jensen to realize what she meant. He caught on, of course. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful, baby.” She tossed him a wink, his words earning him his treat. She pulled the top over her head, tossing it behind her. Jensen ran his hands up and down her thighs. “What do I have to say to get these off?” He asked, tugging on the elastic around her hips. 

“You’re a smart man, figure it out Ackles.” With a smile on her face, she leaned back into him, their lips coming together in a sloppy kiss. Jensen grunted into her mouth as she ground into him. Both were happy to get lost in each other. Neither felt any urgency in their time together anymore. After Jensen’s birthday, they had come to an agreement. They were in this now, it wasn’t just a fling to pass the time. 

Jensen hooked a finger in one of the flimsy cups of her bra, pulling it down to expose her to him. Jensen hummed to himself as he cupped the swell of her breast and leaned in to wrap his lips around the already hardened nipple. Y/n’s head fell back, arching her chest up further for him and reveling in the feeling of his hot, wet mouth against her body.

Neither of them heard the click of the door unlatching until it was too late. 

“Hey man, you didn’t answer your phone.” Both of their heads snapped towards the intrusion in time to see the grin falter from Jared’s face. The two of them scattered away from each like rats upon hearing his voice. Y/n nearly tripped over the coffee table in her search for her missing top, finding it strewn on the entertainment center behind them. Her fingers grasped it tight and held it against her chest as Jensen was trying to fix himself, his pants and belt not wanting to cooperate with him in his frantic state. “What the fuck?!”

“Jared-” Jensen started, finally giving up on his belt and just letting it hang open.

“You…were you two… Are you fucking my sister?” Jared’s glare moved to Jensen as he stomped further into Jensen’s apartment, his height difference becoming exaggerated as Jensen stepped back, his shoulders lowering. 

“Jared, it’s not…” She slipped her shirt back over her head and stepped up behind Jensen, trying to take her brother's focus off of his prey. She had never seen this look in his eye. If she didn’t know Jared, and the gentle giant he was, she would have been scared out of her mind from the quiver in his set jaw. 

“No, Y/n. I want to hear it from him.” Jared spit. 

“What difference does it make?” She asked him as his eyes stayed glued on Jensen’s, his resolve never wavering.

“The difference is I told him under no certain terms, that he was not to see you.” Her eyes flickered to Jensen’s with that revelation. Jensen had never told her that. Not once in their many conversations had he even hinted at that fact. Her stomach felt queasy. What else had he not told her?

“Hold on a second, I am not your property. You don’t get to dictate who I do and do not sleep with.” The anger was quick to overtake her concern about Jensen. That could be dealt with later. Y/n had known that Jared would not take this well, but she had no idea he had the audacity to mark her as off limits like he owned her or something. 

“I know you’re mad, I get it, but it’s not like we are just messing around. I love her, Jared. I think I have loved her for a while now.” Jensen explained, careful not to look her way. Though, from the corner of his eye, he could still see the way her eyebrows had raised and her mouth fell agape at his confession. 

“How long?” Jared spit. 

“Since New Year’s.” Jensen sighed in defeat. Jared scoffed, his face broken and eyes watering, before turning on his heel without a word. 

Jensen reached for him on instinct, his fingers brushing against his arm. “Jare, wait.” 

Jared spun back around, his movements like lightning as his fist connected square with Jensen’s jaw. Jensen stumbled backwards, his hand reaching up and wiping away the blood now at the corner of his mouth. 

“Jared!” She screamed before rushing to Jensen’s side. Jared’s chest was heaving as the two men stared each other down. She turned her back on her brother to inspect Jensen’s face. He flinched as her fingers investigated the damage where a welt was already beginning to form, the skin red and bruising. 

Both Jensen and her jumped as the front door slammed behind Jared. 

“Here, sit.” Her voice was soft as she moved Jensen down onto the couch. She ran to the kitchen and filled up a sandwich bag with ice. The dish towel that hung from the oven was snatched away on her way back to the living room. Once she was seated back across from him, she wrapped the towel around the bag of ice and pressed it against his injury. “I’m so sorry, Jay.” 

“What are you sorry for?” He placed his hand over hers against the ice. She took a quivering breath. Tears were pooling in the corner of her eyes, and she had the corner of her lip worried between her teeth. 

“I just got you punched in the face.” Her voice was high as the effect of the recents events began to sink in. 

“That’s not your fault, I knew what I was doing.” He smiled down at her, his expression soft as he focused on her.

“Did you think he would actually punch you though?” She asked him. Jared had his moments, but he was the nicest person she knew. No one in her life was ever more genuine than her brother, except Jensen. The fact that he could punch his best friend in the face without a second thought, scared her. 

“No, but I kind of deserved it.” Jensen admitted. 

“You didn’t.” Jensen relented and nodded his head, this was not another fight he could win, nor did he want to. He didn’t want to fight her on it because he didn’t want to fight with her at all. He just wanted to forget this ever happened. Wishful thinking.

“So, did you mean what you said?” She asked softly after a moment of silence was shared between the two of them. 

His gaze flicked back to hers. There was hope and fear swimming behind her eyes as she waited for him to answer. “I did. I do. And I know it’s kind of fast, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. Not even Dann-” Her lips pressed against his, effectively stopping his rant, both of them smiling widely. 

“I love you too, Jay.” She promised him. Sure, it was fast, but life is short. She’d rather take a chance with Jensen no matter the outcome. He was all she had ever asked for, and then some. From the moment he kissed her behind that guest house, she had been a goner. No man could ever come after Jensen, that she was sure of.

“You gonna go after him?” Jensen asked as she pulled the ice from his face, her fingers playing with the frayed edge of the towel as she lowered it into her lap. 

“No. He needs to cool down. I’ll talk to him after he’s processed it a little.” She took the ice and set it down on the coffee table. As she sat back on the couch, she let her body exhale the tension from her shoulders. Jensen pulled her into his chest, his fingers rubbing small circles on her arm. She could only hope that Jared could see it her way, but something in her gut was telling her that would never be the case. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader confronts Jared after giving him some time to cool off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really sorry, but I have to warn you, it’s going to be angst from here on out. I don’t know how to write anything else haha, oh boy, you guys better buckle your seat belts. xo Alex

Jensen gripped her bicep as she turned to leave. He pulled her back into him one last time, kissing her short and sweet. “Text me?” 

“Promise, but I really have to go now, Jay.” Both of them were rightfully cautious. Neither one knew what was going to happen when she got back to Jared’s apartment. They didn’t think he would ever hurt her, at least not physically. However, they had no idea what thoughts were running around in his mind, or the path that now lay before them because of it. 

Jensen nodded to her, releasing his grip on her arm and holding the door as she went. They had given Jared a couple hours to cool down, but it was getting late and she decided it was time to head back. She made her way back across town only to find the apartment still dark as she entered. 

“Jared?” She called out as she made her way to his room. It, and his en suite, were empty. He wasn’t in the apartment. She took out her phone, ringing him. It went straight to voicemail. She tried three more times, getting the same result each time. There was an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. This time she rang Jensen.

“You okay?” His voice was hesitant as he answered on the first ring.

“Yeah I guess, it’s just... he’s not here and he’s not answering his phone.” She explained to him, her feet carrying her back and forth across the living room. 

“Did you try Gen?” 

“No, I don’t want to worry her if it’s nothing.” Her thumb mindlessly found its way to her mouth as she chewed on the nail. 

“I know that, but if she knows where he is at, then we don’t have to worry. Listen, just give her a call and I will try Clif and then call you right back.” Jensen’s voice was even as he spoke. Right now, he was being much more level headed than her, and she silently thanked him for that. Jared felt things deeply, and she hurt him. There was no telling what he did after he walked out of Jensen’s apartment, and that fact scared her more than anything. 

“Okay.” She agreed and hung up, immediately dialing her sister in law. The phone rang a few times before Gen finally picked up. 

“Hey sis, how’s it going?” Gen’s voice was chipper and she assumed that Gen had no idea what was going on.

“Hey, have you talked to Jared recently?” She tried to hide the quiver in her voice. Of course Gen picked up on it immediately.

“No…” Gen drew out the word. “Not for a couple hours. Is everything alright?” 

“Uh, well, we kind of got into a fight and I just got home and he’s not answering his phone. I mean, I’m sure he’s fine, but I hoped maybe you knew where he was?” She explained.

“I don’t.” Gen sighed before continuing. “What happened, Y/n/n?” 

Y/n but her tongue, she figured everything was out in the open now, so there was no point in lying to her. She squeezed her eyes shut before speaking. “Jared may have found out that Jensen and I have been sleeping together.” 

“Oh, no.” Gen breathed out. 

“He could be anywhere, and he’s fucking pissed. He punched Jay in the jaw.” 

“I’m not surprised. Jared loves you so much, and he would do anything to protect you. He told Jensen you were off limits in no uncertain terms, and now I’m sure he feels betrayed by his best friend, in more ways than one.” Gen explained. 

“Wait, you knew about that?” Y/n halted her pacing. How was it everyone knew about that but her? 

“Of course I knew, just like I knew you and Jensen have been seeing each other?” 

“How the-“

“Come on Y/n, you guys were not as slick as you think you were. I was in Jared’s office that morning, but you were not. Not to mention how off you’ve been lately. Jared’s mentioned it in passing a few times. He must have just wanted to believe that Jensen would never betray him.” Gen groaned like it was the most obvious thing. Apparently, the two of them had not been as smooth as they thought. 

“Well, fuck Gen, why didn’t you say anything?” She threw her free arm out to her side, letting her hand slap down against her thigh. Was everyone in her life now conspiring against her?

“Because, I figured that you would tell us when you were ready. I didn’t know what your relationship was, and if you two were just sleeping together, I didn’t want to make things awkward.” Gen was just as exasperated as Y/n was at this point, and they were getting off topic now. Finding Jared was the number one priority. 

“I…” Y/n took a deep breath. “I love him, Gen. Like, it scares me, how much I love him. I’ve never felt this way before.” 

“Then you better buckle in, because things just got complicated.” Y/n squeezed her eyes shut as her tears spilled over her cheeks. “Let me call him, and I’ll get back to you.” Y/n didn’t want the pity that took over Gen’s tone, but she needed her right now. 

“Alright. Call me back.” Y/n hung up the phone, fighting the urge to chuck it across the room. Her whole body was vibrating as she tapped her phone against her empty hand. Her teeth dug into her lower lip, nearly breaking the flesh. 

This was never supposed to happen. Her and Jensen were going to sit everyone down and have a nice adult conversation. Now, she worried that the compromising position Jared had found them in only served to make matters worse. It certainly didn’t help, that’s for sure. Y/n knew Jared wouldn’t jump for joy at their revelation, but this reaction was on another level. Jared had never touched anyone like that unless it was self defense, let alone someone close to him. Right now, she couldn’t come up with a way to make this all okay, and that hurt her more than the guilt of lying to her brother. 

The vibration of her phone broke her train of thought and caused her to jump. She answered it without even looking. 

“Jared?” 

“No babe, but we found him. Clif is picking him up to bring him home.” Jensen answered her. 

“Oh, thank god.” She let out her breath. “Jensen, thank you.” 

“Call me when you’ve talked, okay?” 

“I will.” She paused, continuing before Jensen could hang up. “Hey, Jensen?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” Her voice was low, and for a minute she thought he may not have heard her. 

“I love you, too.” The line clicked as Jensen hung up. It was a declaration, and though it wasn’t the first time she said it, usually it signifies a positive turning point in a relationship, but the weight in his voice felt more like an ending. 

She collapsed onto the couch with a deep huff. If Clif was dragging him home, then Jared was most likely in no condition to talk tonight. Pushing their conversation to the morning seemed even more daunting, mostly because that meant she probably wouldn’t sleep at all. She didn’t even bother to turn on the television, content in the silence of the room while she waited for Jared to get home safe. Besides, it gave her time to carefully construct her argument. Granted, the likelihood that Jared would adhere to her plan was slim to none, but that wasn’t going to stop her now. 

The handle jiggled before the door swung open. Clif had her giant of a brother hanging over one shoulder. Jared was walking on his own, but only just so. Relief at seeing him home safe washed over her. She leaped from her spot on the couch and hesitantly made her way to the door. 

“I’m so sorry, Clif.” Her voice was rough as she spoke. 

“No need to be sorry, kid. Let’s just get him to bed, eh?” Clif put his hands on Jared’s shoulder and guided him inside. 

“Oh, so she apologizes to you.” Jared slurred, his expression more hurt than angry as he moved passed her. Y/n noticed the glazed look in his eye. He had most likely been drinking since he had walked in on the two of them. If they hadn’t dragged him home, there was no telling how long he would have gone on for. 

“You’ll all get to that tomorrow. For now you need to sleep.” Clif continued. Jared nodded, his face shifting to understanding as he mumbled about sleep under his breath. 

Clif wasn’t gone in Jared’s room for too long. He shut the door gently behind him as he came back down the hallway. 

“Thanks again, Clif. We don’t deserve you.” She had crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back of the couch. 

“Ain’t no problem. That’s why they pay me the big bucks. Jensen told me what happened. How are you?” 

“As good as I can be, I guess.” 

Clif nodded at her. “He just cares about you a lot, kid.” 

“I know. That’s kind of the problem. Sometimes he forgets he’s not my father, and that I'm an adult who makes my own decisions.” She sighed again, realizing that Clif didn’t need to hear her problems. “But that’s something I have to fight with him about tomorrow.” 

“‘Nuff said. Call me if you need anything else.” Clif pulled her into a hug and kissed her temple before letting her go. 

“I will. ‘Night Clif.” The door clicked closed, leaving her alone with her thoughts again. She took a shuddering breath as she tried to take control over the thoughts in her head. All of it made her feel like the ceiling was coming down on her. The tears were threatening to spill over her cheeks in the overload of emotions. Her only relief was knowing that Jared was okay and currently sleeping off whatever bar he drank in his own bed and not some jail cell. 

With nothing left to be done at the moment, she shuffled herself to the couch and fell into the plush cushions.This had to be dealt with first thing in the morning, and she figured if she slept on the couch, she would hear if Jared tried to escape without talking to her first. There was no telling what he would do, because she had never experienced the hurt that she saw in her brother’s eyes after his fist connected with Jensen’s jaw. The guilt of her poor decisions was now crushing her chest as she tried unsuccessfully to get some sleep. 

Unfortunately, she would only toss and turn for the next few hours. When she finally calmed her racing heart enough to drift into unconsciousness, she was pulled out before she fell too deep by the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. 

Y/n rose from the couch. Her hands fixated on straightening out her wrinkled clothing. As Jared came into view, she offered him a sheepish smile, but he could only roll his eyes in response. Her heart fell as he continued on to the kitchen without a word and she followed him, staying on the opposite side of the island as he prepared the coffee pot. 

“Are you just going to give me the silent treatment?” She urged.

“Guess so, since apparently we don’t talk to each other anymore.” He mumbled without looking at her. 

“I know, I’m sorry-” Jared spun on his heel, sending the bag of coffee in his hand across the room and spilling out onto the hardwood, effectively shutting her up as she flinched. 

“You’re sorry?! You’ve been fucking my best friend for months behind my back and all you have to say is I’m sorry?” She could tell how much yelling was hurting him. He was clearly hungover, but apparently not so much so that he was going to hold back. 

“We were wrong, I can see that now. But at the time… Jared, try to see my side to this.” Her one hand came up to her chest as she fought back the tears again. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cried this much in twenty-four hours.

“Fine.” He swallowed thickly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the counter behind him. 

“After that first night, I felt happier than I had been in a long time. I knew it could be weird for you, and I didn’t want to make it some huge thing if it was only ever going to be a one night deal. I didn’t want this fight to happen if we weren’t serious about each other.” Y/n took a breath, but Jared was still just staring at her, his gaze unchanged and his jaw set. “You and my previous boyfriends don’t exactly have a great track record. Hell, just before anything of this happened, you were following me out to bars and blocking my attempts to meet someone.”

“That’s not fair.” Jared tried.

“No, what’s not fair is you telling Jensen that I’m off limits! What’s not fair is Jensen never even telling me about it, either! What’s not fair, is the trail of never ending sucky relationships and encounters with men I have behind me.” Y/n squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She did not want to raise her voice. 

Taking a deep breath, she continued, softer this time. “Look, I love you, more than anything, I do, but Jared, I am not your property. And you are not Jensen’s boss. I am allowed to see who I want to see. I’m allowed to sleep with who I want to sleep with.” Jared’s eyes narrowed and his jaw ticked when she mentioned the sex but she ignored it. “Now I’m sorry if that is weird for you, but I love him. He’s good to me… he is so good to me and he loves me too. I don’t remember the last time I was this happy with someone, but when I’m with Jensen, I just feel free. I’m begging you to accept that.” Her voice was wavering as her emotions began to seep out beyond her control. 

Jared shook his head, his own tears now streaming down his face. “I don’t know that I can. I… I can’t even look at you without seeing it in my head. And the idea of seeing him again makes my blood boil. It’s like I don’t even know either of you.” While Jared’s words stung, she didn’t blame him for that. It was the least she deserved. 

Jared pushed off the counter and headed straight back to his room, the door slamming shut behind him. Nothing had been resolved, but Y/n had told her side of the story, and in this situation that was all she could do. She had betrayed her brother’s trust, and now she had to live with the consequences of that. All she could hope for was that he would come around eventually. 

Y/n made her way to her own room, grabbing her phone from the couch on her way. Right now, she could use a hot shower, if only to sit in the bottom of the tub to watch the water slip down the drain. But she had promised to call Jensen after she talked to her brother, so that’s what she was going to do first.

The line rang a few times before he answered. 

“Hey, how are you?” She could tell from the gruffness of his voice that he had just woken up. No doubt awake until the wee hours of the morning like she had been. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Did you talk to him?” Jensen asked. Y/n could hear the shuffling of blankets as he likely climbed out of bed. 

“Yeah, he threw the bag of coffee on his hands.” She scoffed at the absurdity of all of it.

“Not at you I hope.”

“No, not at me.” She sighed. “He’s hurting, bad. I don’t know what to do to help him. He said that he can’t even look at me, and the idea of seeing you made him basically want to break something.”

“I figured he would be. It would be weird if he wasn’t. Do you want to come stay with me for a few days, you know just to let things cool down?” Jensen suggested. 

“No, I fear that may only make things worse. I don’t want him to feel isolated from us. He should know that I’m still here for him, no matter what.” She plopped down on the edge of her bed and fell back into the thick comforter. 

“Alright, just let me know if you change your mind at all.” Jensen paused. “I guess I won’t be seeing you until Monday then?” 

“Probably not.” She affirmed.

“Okay, take some deep breaths. I love you.” 

She let out her breath. “I love you, too.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared needs some time to come around to the idea of his best friend and his sister, but will he be able to get over all the lies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Happy Sunday! First, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of you still here with me. This past semester was a difficult one for a number of reasons. Until I started writing again, I hadn’t realised how much I truly missed these two and being in this little world I created. It was a truly therapeutic experience to get back to it. xoxo Alex

Jared was gone before she woke on Monday. Well, not technically before she woke as she didn’t actually sleep. The sound of the front door startled her before her alarm for the morning had gotten the chance to. She wasn’t surprised. Jared didn’t come out of his room the rest of the weekend. Only once for food and even then he just stockpiled what he could into his room.

This wasn’t exactly what she had expected, but again, it didn’t surprise her. After he had stormed out, she rolled out of bed and decided then to start her day. What difference did it make whether she got up now or stared at her ceiling for another half hour anyway? 

When Clif showed up with the car at his normal time, Jensen was already in the back seat. He smiled at her as she climbed in next to him, the corner of his mouth dropping when she shook her head at him. Jensen nodded his understanding.

Y/n stared out the window as the lights of the city flashed passed them, one hand on her chin as she chewed on the nail of her thumb. Jensen’s fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her hand to his face, kissing the back of her knuckles. She turned to face him, a weak smile on her lips.

“Take a breath.” Y/n did as she was told, breathing in deeply and holding it for a beat before letting it back out. A move she had perfected years ago when her anxiety first started to go from bad to worse. She repeated the deep breath a few more times, allowing the action to help the stuttering in her chest slow down to a more bearable rate.

“It’s gonna be a long day.” She noted. Jensen nodded at her and linked his fingers with hers. There wasn’t much else to say between them. She had kept him up to date via text all weekend, so they were on the same page when it came to Jared. 

Friday, she had said all she could to her brother. If he couldn’t accept her apology, what else was she to do? They both knew they had messed up and the guilt that has settled in her chest was suffocating. At this point though, she wouldn’t take any of it back. Jensen was the light she hadn’t known she was missing. He was her safe place, the one person that somehow knew her better than she knew herself. There was nothing that could persuade her from giving that up. Maybe it was selfish, but after everything she figured it was her turn to be a little selfish. If Jared had been there to peer over their shoulders, who’s to say they would have been able to truly find each other. No, that was a risk she couldn’t take. 

They spent the rest of the ride in silence, neither knowing what would greet them when they reached set. With the tension in all of their relationships sure to be noticeable by everyone else, it was best that her and Jensen kept up their facade. The last thing either of them wanted was all their dirty laundry out for everyone to see, something they had come to an agreement on during their many conversations over the weekend. 

Jensen led her towards the makeup trailer as she trailed behind a step. Crew greeted them on their way like usual, a ‘good morning’ here and a nod of a head there. Y/n noted as they walked past the trailers that Jared’s was dark. This didn’t mean much as the set was a large space, and he could still be anywhere. She knew what time he left the apartment, but she couldn’t be sure when he actually arrived on the set, if he had yet done so at all.

Jensen stepped up and pulled open the door to the makeup trailer, allowing her to enter first. She was greeted by a warm smile from Trish as she peeked over Jared’s head. Jared’s body stiffened as he caught his sister's eye in the mirror. Neither of them said a thing, allowing a heaviness to blanket the inside of the trailer. Neither looked away from each other either, their looks of longing and sadness literally mirroring each other’s. They stayed that way for what felt like minutes when in reality it was less than thirty seconds. Just enough time for Jensen to enter behind her, his visage in the mirror stealing Jared’s attention. 

“Morning.” Trish broke the silence in the trailer as the door shut behind Jensen, who muttered a noncommittal response along with Y/n. Trish’s brow furrowed slightly, now picking up on the energy in the room, though she chose not to say anything. 

“It seems like the sun might actually be on our side today.” Y/n noted, trying to break the tension and pull Trish’s focus. They had an outside shoot, and originally the forecast had called for rain, switching at the last minute to partly cloudy. 

“As long as Jared here doesn’t sweat off all my hard work.” Trish teased as she leaned back to inspect her work. Jared’s clipped voice cut through the light conversation.

“Am I done?” Trish nodded, a soft ‘of course’ leaving her mouth. The poor woman had no idea what to make of the sudden mood shift in Jared. He jumped up from his chair and exited the trailer, the door slamming behind him. Y/n flinched at the noise and shared a quick, tense look with Jensen before Trish rounded on them, the furrow in her brow insisting on some answers.

“What’s up with him?” 

“I’m not exactly sure.” Y/n lied, the words tumbling out of her mouth like vomit. “I haven’t spoken to him at all today.” That part wasn't a lie, though she didn’t feel any better about it. The purse in Trish’s lips had Y/n’s heart rate picking up for a moment as she tried to assess if the woman believed her. Trish hummed under her breath, content for now not to ask anymore questions. She collected her things in silence, bidding Jensen and Y/n a goodbye in no time. Y/n let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. 

“I can’t do this.” She hung her head as the tears returned. Never before did she think she could cry this much, and she already admits to being a crier. She had been so sure that her tear ducts would have run dry from how much they were being used. A sob shook her chest as she just let go in the presence of just Jensen.

“Hey, come here.” Jensen’s hands found her waist and pulled her to sit in his lap, her legs laying across his own. “Please, don’t cry. Jared just needs more time.” His thumbs wiped the streams flowing down her cheeks away, the action in vain as the salty liquid just kept coming. 

“I know, but I’m not sure how much longer I can handle this. I’ve never seen my brother like this and I just feel so damn guilty.” 

“I get it, I do. But honey, you’ve said your peace. What else can you do?” Jensen placed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her breathing was beginning to even out as she got control of her emotions, allowing the proximity of Jensen to ease her mind. At least, she knew that she was not alone in all of this. There was one person that could understand this feeling in her gut. A soft hiccup fell from her lips before she spoke again. 

“Beg for his forgiveness.” She suggested.

“If that’s really what you want to do, I’m here for you.” Jensen promised her, his eyes intent on hers as he made his promise known. A hint of a smirk appeared at the corner of his lips, offering her a view of her favorite dimple. He understood the hyperbole in her statement, something that she could never repay him for. Even still, she wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. It was just something to add to her list of the ways he had changed her life and view on the world.

****

The rest of their day consisted of much of the same. Jared was absent when he absolutely was not needed on the set. Though both of them still delivered Sam and Dean like they have been for the past fifteen years. Not that she doubted either of them. They were still professionals after all. The one big difference became their demeanor in between takes. 

Y/n could tell people were clearly suspicious of both of the men’s activity, it was written all over their faces. Though, not one of them chose to comment, much like their dear Trish. She wasn’t sure it would last. Someone was bound to open their mouth sooner or later. She was just surprised it came almost a week and a half later. 

Things had not gotten better in any sense of the word. Jared hadn’t said anything to either of them since the incident. Only interacting with Jensen when the script dictated so. It was the director who opened his mouth after the two men were struggling to connect for the first time in fifteen years. 

“Okay, what is up with you two?” The man came out from behind the camera, his ball cap low on his head as he yelled cut. He hadn’t been getting the performance out of the boys for the dramatic brother scene they were filming today, and he knew something was up. 

“Nothing.” Jared’s nostrils flared as he spoke, one of his little indicators that Y/n had picked up on growing up. He was annoyed and trying desperately to hide it. 

“Bullshit. You guys haven’t so much as said two words to each other this whole episode.” 

“It’s just stress. We are coming up on the end here and I think we are all getting a little emotional.” Jensen stepped up to offer an explanation. 

“I’ve known you both for years. I’ve seen you go through all sorts of things, and never before have I seen this coldness between the two of you.” 

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry. We will get it right.” Jensen promised. Though he didn’t seem convinced, the director left the two standing on stage and returned to his seat behind the camera. 

“I’m so sick of you.” Jared’s voice was soft, but Jensen heard it. 

“Excuse me?” He rounded on Jared.

“You heard me. You always think you know best. Nice cover story for Bill, didn’t want to tell him the real reason why I can’t even look at you?” Jared hissed. Jensen had no idea where this was coming from. Sure, he knew Jared was pissed, but he had never seen him act out like this. It was scaring him to be completely honest.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would want our business spreading around the set. You know how gossip can travel, especially when it involves the leads.” Jensen shot back. Trish nudged Y/n’s shoulder when she noticed the heated exchange between the actors. Y/n whipped around to where she had indicated. From her spot, she couldn’t hear exactly what was happening, but it was a safe bet that it had to do with her. 

“I’m not the one that has anything to be ashamed about. I’m the victim here.” Jared shoved Jensen. The force wasn’t anything that the man could’ve done at his full strength, but it was enough for Jensen to stumble backwards on his feet. Jensen made no move to react, instead simply accepting the punishment that Jared was dealing out for him. 

It was what happened next that was a blur. Jensen’s lack of a reaction seemed to only piss Jared off more, and he moved to push Jensen harder this time. Jensen dodged the movement, ready this time, only for a swarm of crew members to step between them before things could escalate even further.

Y/n couldn’t focus on anything but the sound of her heart thrumming in her ears as the tears threatened to fall once again. The sounds of grumbled shouts from the director for everyone to take a thirty minute break sounded like she was underwater. Jared was pushed back from the set by someone with their hand against his shoulder. Jensen walked off on his own in the opposite direction. 

What did it feel like to be kicked in the gut? Right now she was sure the feeling in her abdomen was a close approximation. The two men she loved most in this world were at odds because of her. Panic, guilt and fear all swirled into one nauseating sensation. She just wanted the world to stop, if only for a few hours, so she could get her shit together. So she could figure out a way to fix all of this. She had to fix this. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, the reader gets a rude awakening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this is a part that I wrote very early on when this story was mostly a concept of vivid scenes all mashed together in my head. It has evolved a lot in the months I have been writing this story and I’m proud of where it has landed. I just have to say, I’m sorry and please don’t hate me. xoxo Alex

It felt like a year later when Trish placed her hand on Y/n’s shoulder, startling her out of her trance state. She wanted to go after Jensen, but was worried about the suspicion that action would raise. But she couldn’t go after Jared, after all, they hadn’t spoken in almost two weeks.

“Is Jared okay?” Her voice was low. Y/n turned her head, noticing the leering eyes of the crew behind Trish. They all had the same question. A question that she just couldn’t answer for them. 

“I should go talk to them.” She offered before walking away from the awkward situation. She headed off in the same direction Jared had gone, though she had no intention of actually going to him. It would only make things worse. If Jared had wanted to talk things out with her, he had plenty of chances to do so. Instead, she went in search of a corner of the lot that would offer the solitude she needed to break down in pieces. 

~

The next week saw no improvement in their situation. Y/n was growing even more antsy than she already was. She had tried to speak with Jared again, hoping to break through to him, even if it was only a small step, before she left Vancouver. Her time on set was quickly coming to an end and she was afraid of what her leaving town might do to their predicament. 

Jared was the one person that she was closest to. The one person who was always there for her no matter what. As the days ticked by, this crushing feeling in her chest kept growing. There was no denying how she had treated her brother was less than favorable, but at the same time she couldn’t deny that Jared was being unreasonable. Picking fights and deliberately avoiding discussion like adults. It was infuriating and frustrating. She wanted to cry eighty percent of the day. 

Unsurprisingly, all of that emotion was overflowing into her relationship with Jensen. At first it felt like they were a team. She had him to lean on. Jensen was her rock and the one person who was in the same boat as she was. They understood each other. Or at least, that is what she had thought. 

After the public altercation on set, their conversations fell tense. At first, she had convinced herself that it was just because the audience that they held. But then it began to seep into his texts as well. He would give her one worded answers and sometimes none at all.

That was what worried her the most. If she was being completely honest, she knew how broken she had become, and as much as she loved Jensen for being there for her, she realized how much she had failed to be there for him. Jared was his best friend after all, brother’s by choice, and Jensen was hurting just as much as she was. It only added to the guilt already weighing on her shoulders. 

Even now, he hadn’t spoken directly to her since she had shooed him out of her makeup chair earlier that morning. She was trying her damndest to fix that. But when he never responded to her suggestion that they hang out at his place, it didn’t do anything for her confidence in her abilities to do so. 

So instead she was trying to just keep her mind occupied. Right now, that was cooking an intricate meal that required her full attention. Maybe this could at least soften up her brother enough for him to sit down and talk to her. 

The soft knock at the door startled Y/n as she set out the ingredients for the dinner she was cooking. There were few people up here in Vancouver who could be knocking on that door. One of which was surely avoiding her. Jared was not home currently, holed up at the gym like he has been a lot these past few weeks, but still, Jensen showing up would be mysterious. That’s why it shocked her even more when it actually was him on the other side of the door. She stepped back and waved him into the apartment. He didn’t say anything as he walked towards the island.

“What are you doing here?” She cut right to the chase as curiosity got the better of her. 

“I came to talk to you.” Jensen knocked his knuckles against the countertop, his brow furrowed as he did so. Things were tense, she was not obtuse to that fact, but there was something about the look on his face that was different right now. He wouldn’t look at her, and it wasn’t like Jared was here to glare at him over her shoulder. 

“Hey, what’s going on with you?” Her voice softened this time. The worry now evident in her voice. 

“I’m trying to figure out how to say this.” He frowned as he watched his finger trail along the pattern in the marble countertop. Her stomach dropped at his statement, the words sending an uneasy feeling through her body. 

“Say what?” She made her way around the island to stand in front of him. He looked up at her when she stopped in front of him, his hand still tracing patterns across the marble. 

“I’m sorry about how cold things have been,” Y/n shrugged at his apology. Did she suspect this chain of events per say? No, but she couldn’t blame him for all that. If anything, she only blamed herself. “I never meant to come between you and your brother.”

“I know you didn’t. But like you said, he’s got to cool down eventually right?” She repeated his mantra back to him. It was the same thing he had been trying to convince her off this whole time. Jensen didn’t return her small smile, if anything, his expression fell more than it already was, which she didn’t think was possible. Her heart sank along with his expression, the anxiety fluttering wildly in her abdomen. There was something wrong with Jensen, she was sure of it now. There was something he wasn’t telling her. 

Jensen sighed deeply before fitting his hands into his coat pockets. “That’s just it, I don’t think he is. I know how close you two were, and you’ve barely spoken these past few weeks. I’ve never seen him like this.” 

“Jared just has a big heart. He just needs a little time.” It felt weird to repeat his own words back to him, but she admits to failing to be there for him. This was the chance to change that and if it meant saying something she didn’t truly believe, she would do that. She would do it for Jensen.

Y/n moved into Jensen, reaching to put her hands around his waist. Surprising her, he stepped back from her advance. Her smile faltered as it seemed her fears were confirmed. Jensen had never rejected her touch, and with the look on his face, that could not mean anything good.

“I think we could  _ all _ use a little time.”

“What does that mean?” Her tone was clipped as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her mood shifted swiftly with the implication of his words. She wasn’t sure what she thought was swimming around in that head of his, but she certainly was not expecting him to say that. 

“It means that you and your brother haven’t spoken in three weeks. It means I haven’t spoken to one of my best friends unless we are forced into the same room and even then it’s only polite discussion about work. Y/n, I didn’t want to be this destructive force in your life, that was never my intention. I think it’s best for everybody if I just take a step back. From you and from Jared.” He reacted to her short response, his voice rising in volume. He couldn’t help it, the anger was building inside at himself and the situation they were in.

“That’s Jared’s problem. He is the one who is being cold here, not us.” 

“Because we betrayed him, we-” Y/n scoffed as his words sent ice through her veins. The noise effectively shut Jensen up.

“Don’t you dare say ‘we’ betrayed him. I didn’t know anything about him telling you I was off limits, no thanks to you or anybody else in my family. You all decided to just keep that from me. Sure, I did lie to him, I hurt him, but I just wanted to tell him on my own time. I was sick of him meddling in my love life and for once I wanted to figure it out on my own. I don’t think that was too much to ask of him.” Her arms crossed over her chest as the tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She could feel her nose stinging, and it was only serving to piss her off more. The audacity of Jensen to say that she did anything to knowingly hurt her brother. Never once had Jared made his wishes known to her, and she can’t be blamed for that.

“You’re right. It all just happened so fast, I didn’t know how to stop it.” 

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I was perfectly content after that night to just chalk it all up to a vulnerable, half-drunk indiscretion. And I told you that, explicitly. I would’ve gotten over it, I would’ve moved on. But you insisted on that first date, and I caved to every line you fed me. How much of it was a lie, Jensen?” The tears were now trailing down her reddened cheeks. Every line he had fed her about wanting it to be more than just sex, about wanting to get to know her for her, how much of it was just a line? Because he knew this would not end well, yet he still went for it. And now here they were, when the going gets tough and he’s backing out. He can’t handle the mess that he knowingly created and it couldn’t help but make her think that he never had the intention of going through with this long term. Was she just a warm body to have in his bed until he was back home in Austin? She didn’t know anymore and that made her feel dirty and used.

“None of it, Y/n. I do love you. I want you to be happy, and I know that you can’t be without your brother by your side. That’s all I’m trying to do, is give you your brother back. I can’t try and keep you all to myself, you know you wouldn’t be happy like that.” He was pleading with her to see his point of view. He wasn’t sure what hurt worse, that she could think he had been just trying to get into her pants this whole time or actually breaking up with her. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. It killed him that she thought he had just used her to get his dick wet. At the same time, seeing it all from her point of view, he couldn’t exactly blame her. 

Jensen reached out to her, hoping to help calm her, but she flinched when he tried. She actually flinched away from him, and that was what hurt the most. 

“Fuck you, and fuck Jared. All of you men are all the fucking same, you know that? How dare you guys pretend to know what is best for me? I’m a grown woman, I can and will figure it out for myself. So don’t pretend you’re doing this for me when you are really just doing it for yourself.” She spit at him. How she didn’t see this one coming, she wasn’t sure. She had just been that blinded by him. She let herself fall in love with him, and she just ended up burned, like always. It was stupid of her to think that the cycle would change after all these years. 

Jensen licked his lips as he watched her walk away from him. What could he say to that? Somewhere deep down, he believed what she had said was true. His actions were not entirely selfless, he couldn’t deny that. “Y/n,”

“Go! Get out!” She spun on her heel, a small sob ripping from her body as she pointed towards the door. There was nothing else to say, for either of them. Not right now. He simply nodded, his own tears welling up as he left out the door. He hoped that she would forgive him one day, but he didn’t know if that day would ever come. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure if he would deserve it. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader sets out to drown herself in another mistake, leading Jared and Jensen to finally say what they have been holding back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mixed in a few funny moments to try and cut all this angst I’m throwing your way. Plus, the next part starts to lighten things up just a little bit. Thanks again for sticking around and reading, I love every one of ya! xoxo Alex

It was harder than she anticipated to pull herself from the state she had allowed herself to fall into. She would never admit to how broken she now was. Long ago she had promised herself that she would never let another man define her life, and here she was sobbing like she had nothing left to live for. She felt pathetic. She felt like she was twenty-five again. 

As the sobs ebbed away into short hiccups, Y/n wiped away the mascara running down her cheeks. As sad as it was, she just felt lost again. Nothing made any sense to her anymore. Everything that she had thought she had known, about her brother and her boyfriend, had all crumbled to the ground in a matter of weeks. Now she was left to pick up the scattered pieces. The only problem was she didn’t know where to start. 

Before Jared could get home to find her there, Y/n decided that what she truly needed was one last bad decision. So, she pulled herself together long enough to fix the tears stains down her cheeks and hide the puffiness under her eyes. Then she was off to drown her mistakes in alcohol. 

****

The lights from the city below bled into the light shining from Jensen’s television. He sat perched on the couch, a beer in hand that had long since gone warm. He wasn’t paying attention to the sitcom on the screen, his gaze instead fixed on the peeling label on the bottle. 

There was no way he could have truly anticipated her reaction to him telling her they needed to take a break. Y/n was a smart woman, but she was also much like her brother, deeply rooted in her emotions. It was not a bad thing, in any sense of the word, but it meant that he saw this going two ways. One was exactly how it had played out. Jensen has gone over in his head time and time again how he could have reworded things in a vain attempt to try and ease her pain. The second was her understanding. It was not far fetched of him to believe that she would have been thinking the same thing, that maybe, just maybe, them taking a break may help heal all of their relationships. 

Jensen was not lucky this time. 

The sound of his phone vibrating against the coffee table broke him out of his daze. He glanced at the number, recognizing the local area code. Intrigued, he answered, completely unprepared for what await him. 

****

The bar sat in the middle of nowhere on a two lane highway with nothing but trees as far as the eye could see in all directions. Jensen got chills as he pulled into the parking lot. The place looked like it could have easily been one out of an episode of Supernatural, and he was scared what all he would find once he made his way inside. 

It was a Friday evening, yet there didn’t seem to be too many cars outside, for which he was thankful for. The less people witnessed him carting off a drunk woman the better. Not to mention it would be Jared’s little sister he was helping stumble out the door. He couldn’t worry too much about that now though, his bigger focus was on making sure Y/n got home safe. 

The bell jingled overhead as Jensen pushed the door open. No one paid him any mind, all of them too inside their own head and their own troubles to worry about a new patron in the bar. A quick scan of the room didn’t turn up Y/n, so he went with plan B. He made his way over to the bar, leaning over the wooden top and tapping it with his knuckles to get the bartender’s attention. “Hey, buddy, I’m looking for Oliver.”

“You Jensen?” The guy wiped his hands on the towel he had stuffed into his apron as he made his way over to Jensen.

“Yeah, where is she?” 

“My manager has her in a booth over there.” Jensen’s eyes shifted in the direction Oliver nodded his head, seeing Y/n slumped in her seat, her arms crossed and a pout on her lips. “She’s been trying to coax her to drink some water but she just won’t do it. I was going to call her an Uber, but her address is listed in her phone as Texas and I don’t think Uber does that. Found your name in her emergency contacts, she’s been muttering nonsense about you since about her fourth glass.” Oliver leaned his weight onto his hands upon the bar, eyeing up Jensen. 

“Thanks. Here, this should cover her tab, no?” Jensen held out a few bills for the bartender who nodded and took the cash. Jensen stuffed his wallet back in his jeans before heading over to Y/n. She perked up when she saw him heading her way. 

“Jensen…” His name slurred from her lips, equal parts happiness and despair. 

“Hey, sweetheart. I’m here to take you home, how does that sound?” He squatted down next to the booth, bringing himself eye level with her. 

“No, I can’t go back there! I hate Jared.” She shook her head violently. Jensen put his hands on her arms, rubbing up and down to soothe her. 

“You don’t hate Jared. You love your brother.” He tried, but she wasn’t having it. 

“I do, I hate him. And I hate you.” Her brow furrowed as if she had just remembered her new distaste for the man come to rescue her. She hiccuped before continuing. “You two and all your stupid meddling. I’m a grown ass woman, I can decide what’s best for me, you know?” Her words twisted the knife already piercing his heart. 

“I do know. And I think you know that you need to get some rest. But you can’t do that here. Let’s get in the car and we can go from there. How does that sound?” She chewed on her lip, contemplating his offer for a moment before nodding solemnly. “That’s my girl.” Jensen stood and offered his hand out to her. She took it, but in her inebriated state, needed help not only to stand, but to walk out to the car. Jensen leaned down and threw her arm over his shoulders so he could help support her weight and help her stand. She stumbled over her heels a little as they made their way to Jensen’s car. He slid her into the back, laying her across the bench seat. She curled into herself instantly, her eyes fluttering shut. 

Jensen sighed as he shut the door behind her. He had never seen her even close to this drunk. Or this sad. The sadness that flickered behind her eyes when she had first saw him made his gut wrench. He hated thinking that he had driven her here. That had never been his intention. He was only trying to do what he thought was right for everyone. He loved her, he couldn’t deny that now, but Jared was important to him too. It was better that he was just friends with both of them than losing both of them forever. He had hoped that Jared would get over it, but things had only gotten worse. And now, he was dragging a drunk Y/n home because he had broken her heart. He only hoped Jared didn’t hit him again for this one. He blamed himself enough as it was. 

He made sure to keep an eye on her as he drove, glancing in the rearview mirror frequently to make sure she was still breathing. Thankfully, she slept peacefully the whole way. She was going to be mad when she realized where he was taking her. It was the lesser of two evils. Either he took her to his place and let her like him for a little while longer but then Jared chews him out for not calling him, or he takes her to Jared, who keeps an eye on her and she gets mad at Jensen. He was just hopeful that if she does get mad, that she doesn’t remember it in the morning. 

It was nearing two in the morning as Jensen pulled into Jared’s place. He climbed into the back seat, hovering over Y/n so he could wake her gently. “Hey, Y/n/n. It’s time to get up so I can get you upstairs and into bed.” He brushed her messy hair from her face as he spoke to her. Her eyes fluttered open easier than he thought they would, a small smile on her lips as she registered what he had said. 

“I’ll always get into bed with you.” Her hand smacked against his shoulder in what he assumed was supposed to be a sensual movement. 

“Alright there. Come on.” He moved back out of the car and dragged her along with him. Her little nap as Jensen carted her across town did little to sober her up. And apparently she had already forgotten she was supposed to hate him. He wasn’t sure what her worse, knowing she loved him so much she drank herself stupid or that she loved him so much she was trying to convince herself that she hated him. 

Y/n was still unsteady as Jensen guided her inside and up to the apartment she shared with Jared. Her fingers gripped tightly into Jensen’s coat as he knocked on the front door. Even if he had been able to find her keys, he didn’t want to just barge in on Jared. 

The sounds of Jared shuffling around could be heard through the door before it finally flung open.

“What the hell?” Jared was trying to let his eyes adjust to the brightness of the hallway as he took in the scene in front of him. 

“I got a call from the bartender at Trappers saying she needed to be picked up. I was closer so I went and grabbed her.” Jensen explained as he brought her inside.

“Hey! You brought me to Jared’s!” Y/n slurred as she turned into him, nearly causing him to trip over her feet.

“I did, because this is where you are staying right now.” Jensen explained to her, causing her to start giggling. 

“Like brother like sister right? You remember that, when Jared had to be carried in here drunk because he found out we were  _ fucking _ ?” Her voice lowered on the last word of her sentence, like Jared may overhear their “secret”. Jensen caught her hand that had snuck its way to his jaw, pulling it from his face and casting a wary look at Jared. He couldn’t stop her actions or the words that came out of her mouth, but he could at least try and limit them for Jared’s sake, and ultimately his own. 

“Alright, you’re done talking.” He assured her as he moved her body so he could finish taking her to her room. 

“She didn’t even tell me she was going out.” Jared sounded confused as he followed Jensen into Y/n’s room. Jensen pulled back her comforter and laid her down onto the pillows. She didn’t want to release her grip on him at first, nearly pulling him down with her. When he regained his balance, he moved to take off her shoes, setting them on the ground by her bedside table. She mumbled something he didn’t quite hear as he tucked her into her blankets. 

“Jensen,” Her voice was louder this time, cracking like she was about to break down into tears as she gripped his wrist when he tried to leave. Jensen sat down on the edge of her bed, leaning in close to her.

“Yes?” 

“Don’t go. Please?” 

“I can’t stay. You know that.” Jensen smiled down at her, trying to be reassuring even though he had no idea if she could even tell with the way her eyes were drooping. 

“I don’t.” Her brow furrowed as she struggled to understand. 

“Jared’s going to take care of you from here. You’ve gotta sleep now, though.” Jensen promised her that she wouldn’t be alone when he left. 

“No, you.”

“Y/n/n,” Jensen sighed heavily. He had known how stubborn she could be, but Jared was already breathing down his neck and he didn’t wish to push his luck. 

“I love you. Please, don’t leave me.” Jensen didn’t think his heart could break any more than it already was, but he was mistaken. Hearing the sob rock her body as she gripped his bicep like it was her lifeline physically pained him. He wanted nothing more than to try and fix what he had destroyed, but now he only feared he had made it worse. This wasn’t what he wanted to be in her life. A destructive force that ruined her closest relationship and broke her heart. He never meant to make things so complicated. Now, he had no idea what to do to make things right. 

“I know.” He leaned into her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. The only thing he could do was wait until she fell asleep. He let the backs of his knuckles run up and down her arm until her grip on him loosened on its own. Once he was free from her grasp, he slipped away and out of her room.

Jared was leaning against the wall opposite her door as Jensen pulled it closed behind him. Jared had a deep frown on his face, the lines in his forehead scrunched together in thought. He didn’t say anything as Jensen walked past him and towards his front door, he simply followed after him. 

“You guys assumed I was just doing this to spite you, but this is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I didn’t want to see my sister hurt yet another time! Yet here we are because you did exactly that!” Jared pointed an accusing finger at his co-star. 

“Tell me, Jared, have you really always thought that low of me? Do you think that I just go around getting a kick out of breaking women’s hearts? I thought we were closer than that.” Jensen had spun back around when Jared’s voice stopped him before he could open the door. Both were on the verge of shouting, but remembering the woman sleeping just down the hall, were trying their damndest to keep their voices even. 

“You’re right, I did think we were closer than that. Then you went and slept with my sister behind my back and now she’s lying comatose in her bed because she drank half a bar when you broke her heart!” 

“Jesus, Jared. You can’t put that all on me. I admit it, we made a mistake and I’m sorry that we hurt you, I am. But I love your sister, more than I’ve ever loved any other woman. And I know that to her, family is everything.  _ You _ are everything. Since it seems you won’t move on and forgive us, I made the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.” Jensen swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he fought back the tears in the corner of his eyes. “I had to let go of the best thing to ever happen to me, so she could have you. She might not be able to see it right now, and I hate myself for how she is hurting, but she will come around one day. Y/n will know that you mean more to her than I ever could. I can only hope when that day comes, she will no longer hate me.”

“So it’s all my fault, then?” Jared’s jaw ticked as he stared down Jensen.

“No, weren’t you listening? I’m saying it’s all our faults. No one is innocent in all of this. I’m just taking responsibility and trying to fix what I can, for both of you.” Jensen was done talking about this now. Things were still too heated for an adult conversation, unfortunately. He truly believed what he was saying to the man he had once considered his brother. He could only pray that Jared and Y/n could see his side of things. He turned and pulled open Jared’s front door. He paused one last time, his shoulders sagging. 

“I’m sorry.” He offered one last time, only hope in his heart that Jared would actually hear him this time.

“I know.” 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared and his little sister finally find their middle ground, just in time for her to head back home to Austin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s looking like I’ve finally nailed down the number of parts for this bad boy. It’s looking like we will have 25 parts. That means this is almost done. I can’t believe that finish line is finally in view. Thanks to everyone who has been on this wild ride with me. I appreciate you more than you know. xo Alex.

The soft yet persistent pounding in her head pulled Y/n back into consciousness. It took a moment for her to get her bearings, but she was quick to realise that she was in fact in her bed in Jared’s apartment. She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been last night, jetting off on her own and drinking her own weight in alcohol. Hell, she couldn’t even tell you how she had gotten home last night. She was still in the jeans and blouse she had left in, though her shoes were gone, and someone had tucked her under the blankets.   
With a groan, she pulled away the warm comforter and sat up. There was a bottle of aspirin on her bedside table, along with a sports drink. Greedily, she dumped more pills than necessary into her palm and chugged as much of the drink as her stomach could handle. Once she was sure it wouldn’t all come back up, she stood from her bed and stripped herself of the clothing that smelled as though she had doused herself in whiskey, which wasn’t entirely inaccurate, before hopping into a scalding hot shower.   
Y/n let the heat of the water burn away the night before, taking with it everything that had happened in the past few months and sending it down the drain. This would be where she starts over. Last night she drank and cried away the pain. Now, she took the next step forward, to new beginnings, to success she could only ever dream of. She was growing from this if it was the last thing she did.   
When the water finally ran cold, she pulled herself from the shower, and wrapped her hair atop her head in a towel. Once she was dressed, she figured there was no more time she could waste. She had to face her brother.   
Jared was sitting on the couch as she entered the living room. His legs were crossed and he had one arm slung over the back of the couch. He sat up straight when he saw her, his hands finding the remote to shut off the television in haste.   
Y/n fidgeted with the hem of her shirt before finally just biting the bullet. “How did I get home last night?” She asked, her voice low.   
“Jensen got a call from the bartender and since he was closer, he picked you up and brought you home.” Jared folded his hands in front of him as he leaned his elbows on his knees.   
“Oh,”  
“Yeah.” Jared nodded, not looking at his sister.   
“So, um, I only have one week left until I head home.” Y/n folded the corner of her lips under her teeth as she tried to find the right words. “I’ve found an Airbnb that I’m gonna stay in until it’s time to go home.”   
Jared’s head shot up at her confession, hurt crossing his features. “You don’t have to do that, you are always welcome to stay here.”   
“I just… I need some space to breathe, time to think. So much has happened in such a short amount of time and everything is just so frazzled in my brain right now. I need to start over.” Y/n tried to explain to her brother why her moving out of his apartment was the best thing for her.   
“Are you saying you can’t be near me right now?”   
“I’m saying I can’t be near anybody right now. I’ve got to collect my thoughts and try to figure out how to pick up the broken pieces of my life.” Her voice rose and she had to take a breath to collect herself. Getting angry would serve no one.  
“Okay,” Jared relented. “You know I never meant to hurt you, right? I was just trying to protect you.”  
“I know. I just don’t understand why you thought you needed to protect me from Jensen.” Y/n pushed herself away from where she was leaning against the wall and moved to sit across from Jared on the coffee table.   
“Well, he did hurt you, didn’t he?” Jared was serious, and his expression fanned that fire in her belly. She wanted to yell then, to tell Jared that it was his fault that Jensen hurt her, that if he just could have been happy for them, none of this would have happened. But she didn’t. It wouldn’t solve anything. Her brother and her were finally talking and she could tell they both wanted to patch things up. They both were beginning to recognize their mistakes in all of this. After all, that’s what Jensen wanted for her in the first place, to give her her brother back. There was no way she was going to let this hole in her chest or the numbness in her mind be for nothing. It was the last thing she would do for the man she loved.   
“Yeah, I guess he did.”  
“I love you, smalls. I am sorry.” Jared pulled her into a crushing hug, his arms comfortingly tight around her torso. Y/n nuzzled her face into his shoulder as she tried to hide the quiver in her voice.   
“Me too, Jare.”  
****  
If she thought things on set were awkward before, it had nothing on her last week. At least before, she had someone else to lean on in the beginning. This time, she was on her own. The three of them were standing in their own corners of the ring. Sure, she and Jared had made up, for the most part, but it was going to take some time for things to go back to normal. Forgiveness isn’t a light switch that you can just flip on and off, it takes real work. Right now, she was just thankful that they had the chance to start.   
Nothing could have prepared her for the pain of staring Jensen in the face everyday and acting like everything was fine. It was far from it. Not to mention, the memories from that night he brought her home are still pretty fuzzy, and not knowing the full story was embarrassing enough in of itself without the added tension.   
On her last day, the crew had baked her favorite pie to bid her goodbye. There was a small celebration at lunch, and everyone was there. Everyone but Jensen. She wasn’t sure why she expected him to be there. Maybe a part of her was hoping that he would just be there to keep up the facade. After all, people were suspicious of his absence. Jared and his sister blew it off, giving the others a lame excuse. Neither of them even bothered to care if anyone believed it. Frankly, at this point it didn’t matter either way. She was too tired to hold up any more pretenses. She was too tired to pretend like everything was okay when it wasn’t.  
****  
Y/n stopped as she stepped off her plane, allowing the Texas sun to bathe her in a warmth she so desperately had missed. Normally this time of year, she would be in warmer clothes, but after Vancouver, there was nothing more that she wanted to feel than the Texas sun on her skin. Hell, she just wanted to feel in general. This was her chance to truly start over, to dedicate her life to something again. Starting with her company.   
Y/n didn’t even bother wasting anytime, ordering her Uber to take her to the office. The work day was nearly over, but there was something pulling her back there. She couldn’t explain it, whether it was the work, or the people, or maybe just something familiar. It didn’t matter to her though, Et Cetera was her safe place.   
“Y/n!” Abby jumped from her seat behind her desk as Y/n pushed open the doors to the offices. Y/n let go of her bags and opened her arm to hug the woman. “You are never allowed to leave again.”   
“That won’t be a problem, girly.” Y/n squeezed her tight before letting her go. She wiped away a tear she hadn’t realised escaped her before composing herself. “Tell me, how is everybody?”   
“Everybody is great, honestly. Things are not the same without you around. We’ve truly missed seeing your face everyday.”   
“Good, that’s good.” The smile that graced her lips was weak. She felt guilty now, being back in her office. After putting her everything into this business, she couldn’t even remember why she had taken Jared’s offer in the first place. Maybe she would feel different if things hadn’t fallen apart, but she would never know. All that she could do was try her best to make it up to her coworkers. “I have some emails I need to respond to and a few other things to catch up on before Monday. You guys have a good weekend and I’ll catch up with you on Monday.”  
“Sure, yeah.” Abby nodded her understanding. The women parted with one more hug, both heading to do their respective work.  
Y/n smiled to herself, once again finding her office just as she left it, thriving plants and all. This time the sentiment tugged a little stronger on her heart. She had thought that stepping off that plane was grounding for her, but it was nothing compared to sitting behind her desk again. The sense of pride and accomplishment that came with knowing that this little business was something she created and nurtured into a nationally recognized company was incomprehensible.   
It was also for this reason that what she did came easily to her. Even the business aspect, from the beginning was something that she never exactly struggled with. But she guessed when you have a passion for something, everything else just tends to fall into place. She had many blessings to count in her thirty odd years on earth, and this was just one more to add to the list.   
It didn’t take her long to do what she had needed, but long enough for the rest of the office to clear out. Abby had informed her as the rest of them had walked out. That had been about half an hour ago. It was time she left for the evening as well. What wasn’t done could wait for the weekend.   
She locked down her computer and grabbed some papers to take with her after she ordered an Uber to take her home. Flipping switches as she walked back out into the lobby, she froze as her office door swung shut behind her. The main door to the offices was sitting ajar, light from foyer that led to the elevator flooding into the now dark lobby.   
Y/n had been sure she had heard the door close as they left, but now was questioning that memory. She was quick to shake off the uneasiness in her stomach, remembering that sometimes the door doesn’t latch properly and that was one of the reasons that they tended to just keep it propped open during the day. Whoever went out last must not have actually pulled it tight. It was an honest mistake and she figured she would just send out a reminder email to check it behind you when you leave at night.   
With one last glance around the lobby, Y/n set the alarm and headed off to return to her home, a new glint of hope for the future in her eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out going home to Austin wasn’t all it cracked up to be. Elsewhere, Jensen has an interesting conversation with an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to start here by reiterating that this is a work of fiction and should be treated as such. I mean no harm to Danneel or her beautiful family, and I have a zero tolerance policy on this blog. I see and legit forms of hate towards any wife and you are blocked. That being said, I hope you enjoy this part xoxo Alex

** _Two months later…_ **

When Y/n had stepped onto the tarmac in Austin, she had believed wholeheartedly that this could be a fresh start for her. Or at the very least, she hoped going back to her status quo would help to dull that empty feeling she now held in her chest. And it had worked, at first. Catching up on everything had been just the distraction she was looking for, but as time went on and the workload steadied off, it became harder for her to mask all the emotions.

It was something she had done numerous times before. A coping mechanism that as much as she knew how unhealthy it was, she always found herself reverting back to. This time was no different, and Y/n had found herself working herself into the ground. She was doing everything she could to make sure that work was all that could consume her thoughts, which turned out great in the end for Et Cetera. 

Last week, she had received an email from the conglomerate Coty, one of the world’s largest beauty brands, requesting a meeting with her and her lawyers. Obviously, she had been immediately interested, the butterflies in her stomach on full alert even after the meeting had ceased. 

_ “Just… think about our offer. We don’t need an answer right away, we understand that this is a big decision for you. We hope to hear from you soon.” Mr. Baltussen, the CPO for Coty, slid her over a copy of his business card along with the legal documents that spelled out their offer.  _

_ “Of course, thank you.” Y/n nodded her head as the small group of executives let themselves out of the conference room. As the door closed behind them, she snapped her head to her lawyer next to her, who already had her nose in the paperwork.  _

_ “What do you think?” _

_ “I think this all looks pretty legitimate. Y/n this is a more than generous offer.” Her lawyer’s eyes quickly scanned the words before flitting up to meet Y/n’s.  _

_ “So you think I should accept it?” _

_ “Honestly?” Y/n nodded, pleading for an honest answer. “Only you can make that decision, but this says to me that no matter what decision you make, you’ll be just fine.” _

_ “Damn, I was hoping for a more definite answer.” She dropped her head into her folded arms on the table top. _

_ “Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but I’m here for you no matter what.”  _

That conversation had been all that she thought about for the rest of the night and was the first thing on her mind when she had woken the next morning. Having the day off, since it was the weekend, meant she had more time to dwell on it. At first, she had been adamant about declining their offer, but the more she thought about it the more appealing it became. After all, her method of shoving everything down to avoid feeling was no longer working for her. Being in Austin, where he also lived, tended to grate on some of her nerves. She often found herself tense when out in public, which she fully understood how irrational it was, afraid that she would run into him somewhere. Her heart just wasn’t ready for that quite yet. Even with her and Jared talking again, things still hurt. He was family and she would never be able to get away from him, but Coty was offering her the ability to get about just as far away as she could from the mess she had created. 

Y/n had pulled her laundry from the drier as she went about doing her weekend chores. She plopped onto the couch with the basket in front of her and turned on the news for some background noise. The program was just finishing up as she paid no attention to it and its switch to Entertainment Tonight. She was just about finished with folding when the host’s words caught her attention. 

“Coming up next, Supernatural star Jensen Ackles and ex fiance Danneel Harris caught cozying up to each other for lunch in downtown LA.” Y/n snapped her head up to the tv and dropped the panties in her hand back into the basket at her feet. She searched blindly for the remote to turn up the tv as the program returned. 

“The two ex lovers were seen having what seemed like a friendly, and funny, lunch together. Could this be the start of a rekindling romance? Only time will tell as their reps declined for comment.” Images of the two flashed across the screen, paparazzi photos of the two of them, both had wide smiles on their faces as they sat next to each other on a patio table. A pair of sunglasses sat on both of their faces, but even she could see the small crinkles around his eyes from that beautiful smile on his face. 

Her heart sank into her stomach as she sat back on her couch and pulled her knees into her chest. All those emotions she had fought so hard to push down were now bubbling back up to the surface and threatening to explode out of her throat in a sob. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she fought the stinging in her nose. 

Deep down she knew she had no right to feel the way she was. After all, Jensen had ended things with her, and she certainly didn’t leave the door open for him to come running back in. But all she could think about was his promise to her, his promise that he was over the one woman that had the pleasure of wearing his ring on her finger. The images on her television now told her a different story, though, and that brought up every insecurity in her. 

What was it that Danneel had that she didn’t? There were the obvious physical differences that she wouldn’t even dare to delve into in her fragile state. But what else about her made her more desirable? Was she smarter, funnier, better in the bedroom…

_ Ugh! _ Y/n ran her hands through her hair, tugging gently at the roots. She was so far beyond over feeling like this. She was supposed to be better at handling herself when she got this way, but more so, she was supposed to be over comparing herself to other women. It had been so long since she had relapsed like this, and she had reached her breaking point. Y/n was not okay anymore, and she needed help. 

****

Y/n rifled through her living room, tossing pillows and cushions from her couch. She had been so sure that she had left her laptop on the coffee table when she went to bed last night. It was nowhere to be found. Not in her bedroom, living room, not even in her kitchen. 

“Damn it.” she growled to herself. There was no more time to look for it, she had to be at Jared and Gen’s soon, so she would just have to push back this search until later. Quickly she put her house back into a semi clean order and ran out the door. Luckily, her brother didn’t live too far from her and she was still on time when she pulled up in their drive. 

Three little bodies had the front door pulled open before she could even open her car door. “Aunt Y/n!” Odette was the first one out the door. Y/n knelt down in front of her niece, sweeping her up into her arms and squeezing her tight. It had been longer than usual since she had seen Jared and his kids, in person at least. Things were still… tense to say the least between them. They were still working on their issues… slowly. 

Y/n picked up the toddler and made her way inside, hugging the boys as she went. Gen was waiting just inside the door, offering her a tight hug as well. 

“We miss you around here, you know that?” Gen smiled as she let down Odette and the kids ran off to continue what they were doing before she had pulled up. 

“I know. We are getting there.” Y/n agreed, it really had been too long. She missed her family more than she had thought. They had been so close since forever, that she never understood what it was like to be at a distance from them. 

“Then come around more often, please?” Gen urged her sister in law to follow her into the kitchen. 

“Gen,” Y/n tried, casting her glance away from the woman who was pleading with her. That was the last thing she needed to hear right now. “I have some news.” 

“Should I grab Jared…” She started towards the stairs that lead to their second floor before Y/n moved to stop her. 

“No please, just listen.” Gen leaned against the island, giving Y/n her full attention. “I had a meeting on Friday with executives from Coty. They uh,” She chuckled, still in disbelief that this was even happening. “They want to buy my majority shares in Et Cetera.” 

“Wow, Y/n that is huge.” Genevieve’s word’s didn’t match the inflection in her voice or the crease that appeared between her brows. She was just as skeptical as Y/n had been when they first presented her the offer. 

“That’s not all. Coty offered me a VP position where I would be in charge of US operations. My lawyer said it’s a more than generous offer since I get a seven figure salary plus benefits and bonus’, not to mention the money from the sale of my shares.” Y/n played with the fruit in the bowl in front of her. 

“There’s more, isn't there?”  _ The woman was too smart for her own good _ , Y/n thought to herself. Of course Gen picked up on that fact that she was holding something back. 

“I would need to relocate to New York.” Her face scrunched up as she prepared for some sort of outrage or surprise from Gen, but nothing came. Her next words were softer than she deserved.

“Do you want to accept the offer?” 

“I didn’t, at first.” Y/n admitted. That was the easy part, admitting to what had changed her mind on the other hand would be a lot more difficult, because she didn’t even want to admit it to herself. “But I don’t know now. It feels like everyone around me is moving on with their lives while I’m just stuck on some sort of endless corporate hamster wheel. I don’t feel the excitement for what I do anymore. Hell, I don’t feel anything anymore. Moving to New York could be just what I need.”

“And what about us? What about your family here in Texas.” 

“We have facetime. And I’ll always just be a plane ride away. I mean, it's not like I’m going to Yemen or something. We will have the holidays too.” The catch in her voice broke on her last sentence. She didn’t know who she was trying to convince more, herself or Gen. 

“Is this about Jensen?” Gen stood up straighter, her head cocking slightly as she spoke. 

Y/n huffed,  _ what a stupid question _ . “Of course it is. He’s clearly moved on, our time together just a distant and horrible memory. Why shouldn’t I be afforded that same luxury?” 

“Come on, you don’t really believe that? Y/n, you have worked so hard for everything you have. And it is all yours, right here in Austin, where your family is too. Why throw all that away over some guy?” Gen’s hand found its way to Y/n’s shoulder, her fingers squeezing the flesh there to try and ground her. She hated seeing her making emotional decisions, especially ones that would affect not only her. 

“Jensen wasn’t just some guy, Gen. But I did lose him, and I’m trying my damndest here to move on, but I just haven’t found the ability to do so yet. That’s all I’m looking for.” Y/n cast her gaze down into her lap, where she was now picking at the cuticle on her thumb. 

“And all I’m saying is, don’t make this kind of decision without talking to the people around you. Get all the perspective you can, because I don’t think you are seeing this clearly right now.” 

“I hear you Gen, but I don’t know if I’ll change my mind again.” Gen nodded her understanding, only wishing she could get through to her sister in law somehow. She pulled her into her chest, hugging her again, because she didn’t know what else she could do. 

Neither of them noticed Jared standing on the landing of the stairs, catching every word his sister uttered. His heart sank as he listened to his sister talk. Never before had he heard the defeat in her voice. Y/n was one of the most strong willed people he knew, but she had just… given up. 

Before now, he hadn’t noticed how far she had fallen. But maybe that was because he wasn’t looking. The two of them didn’t talk like they used to, and right now he was feeling incredibly guilty about that. Why hadn’t he seen it before? Was it because all he could focus on was the steam coming out of his own ears when he found out she had been sleeping with his best friend? Or was it because as much as she chastised him for it, he still saw her as his baby sister and not the independent woman she had become. It was not like her at all to give up on something she had been working so hard towards. Y/n was not the type of woman to balk at money, and she certainly wouldn’t be the one to walk away from her family for any amount of it. 

Jared couldn’t see anymore why he had ever been so adamant that the two of them should not be together. Maybe it was because he knew too many of the intimate details of Jensen’s sex life to think about his sister in that way, or maybe it was even because he thought they wouldn’t be a good match. He could see it now though, having known both of them for so long. Jared shook his head at himself for not seeing truly how much those two were made for each other. He had only stood in their way when he should have been playing matchmaker. After all, didn’t he owe it to two of the most important people in his life to help them find their way to each other?

Jared vowed in that moment, he would fix this. He had to fix this. 

** _Meanwhile, in Los Angeles..._ **

The waiter set down their plates in front of them with a quick ‘enjoy’ before running off. Danneel bit into the salad placed in front of her, chewing delicalating as she decided on what to say. 

“You know, I have to say I was surprised you called me.” She thought back to his cryptic text that he had sent. ‘ _ I’m in town and need to talk, can we get lunch? _ ’ was all that it said. He had sent her the name of the cafe when she had agreed on meeting him. The two had exhausted the small talk in the time it took for their food to come and she wanted to get straight to the point. 

“I was too, to be honest. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I think you may be one of the few people who can help me.” Jensen took a drink of his water, not looking in her direction. 

“Me? We haven’t exactly been pen pals all this time.” 

“I know, that means you have an outsider's view point on all of this. And you know me better than almost anyone, I trust your opinion.” Jensen stated. Danneel mouthed a ‘wow’ and sat back in her chair, wiping her face with her napkin. 

“This must be big then.” Danneel eyed the man sitting next to her, waiting for him to start with whatever it was he wanted to tell her. 

“God, where do I start, uh… I met this woman.” He began, his hand fiddling with the fork against his plate. 

“Mmmm.” Danneel hummed, the realization finally hitting her. 

“I… she is probably the best thing to ever happen to me. Actually, she’s a lot like you in some ways, brilliant, witty, and beyond beautiful. I fell for her, and I fell hard.” 

“So what is the problem exactly?” 

“I had to break things off with her. I thought what I was doing was best for her and me, but as time has gone on I’m not so sure. I can’t seem to get rid of this churning in my gut.” His tongue jetted out to wet his lower lip as he poured his heart out. This was not an easy thing for him to admit, the last thing he wanted was to hurt Danneel. 

“This girl wouldn’t happen to be Y/n Padalecki, would she?” A small smirk graced her features as Jensen snapped his gaze up to hers. 

“H...How?” 

“Well you weren’t exactly subtle when you ran after her at your birthday. Not to mention both of you were gone for too long and you returned with that little post coitus smirk you tend to get.” Danneel swirled her finger in a circle to emphasize her point. Jensen chuckled under his breath, his head shaking in disbelief. The noise grew in his chest before bubbling up into a full bellied laugh. Danneel couldn’t help but to join in, his laughter having that effect on people. 

“Would you believe that Jared asked me not to get involved with her?” Danneel nodded, she had known Jared for a while, and that did not surprise her at all. “We saw each other behind his back and when he found out, all hell broke loose. The two of them weren’t talking for two weeks.” 

“Oh, Jay…”

“Am I an idiot?” He asked her, his voice soft, as if afraid of her answer. 

“No, you are not an idiot. You’re in love, but you’re not an idiot.” Danneel held out her hand for him across the table. He took it and she squeezed his palm. “Listen, I know what it’s like to walk away from something because it is the best option for both of you, but I also believe that what’s meant to be, will be.”

“What are you saying?” 

“I’m saying if you truly love her and she loves you, you’ll find your way back to each other.” Danneel reiterated. 

“And what if we are too late?” Jensen tried. 

“Then don’t make yourself late. The least you can do is go to her and tell her how you feel. Then it’s in her hands.” 

“You make it sound so easy, Dee.” 

“Oh it’s not.” Danneel dropped his hand. “It’s downright terrifying. But do you want to live your life wondering what if?” Jensen shook his head. “Then go get her.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared sets his plan into motion. Elsewhere, the reader works on coming to terms with her struggles over these past few months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more part after this!!! AH! I am tremendously blessed and constantly surprised by all the love and support I have received for this crazy little series. I couldn’t have done it without y’all, so enjoy the fruits of your labor. xo Alex

The sun was malicious as it beat down on the small Austin country club. It was normally packed on beautiful Sundays and this one was no different. Jensen was cruising down a hill in his golf cart, one of his old high school buddies riding shotgun as they played a full eighteen. It felt nice to get out and do something again for a change. It had been so long since he had any free time, seeing as he was between projects right now, and he wanted to soak up all of it before the next one came along. 

He slowed the cart down as they reached their hole, putting it in park on the flat grassland. He hopped out of the cart and searched his bag for a putter. 

“I don’t understand how you keep beating me. I’ve been practicing for months.” His buddy laughed, Jensen joining in along with him. He opened his mouth to comment, only for another voice to pipe up first. 

“Yeah, he always was the one to beat.” Jensen tensed as he recognised the familiar voice coming up to him and his friend. Jared was alone as he approached the men, but he was smiling brightly. Confusion was evident on Jensen’s face as he tried to determine what was happening. 

“Hey, Jared, good to see you again bud.” Jensen’s friend held out his hand for Jared to shake. 

“Likewise.” He nodded before turning his attention back to Jensen. “It’s good to see you too, man.” Jared pulled Jensen in for a hug, stunning his fellow actor before he returned the sentiment. 

“Can I talk to you?” Jared pointed his thumb behind him, indicating to Jensen that he wanted to talk in private. 

“Uh, sure.” Jensen was hesitant. He wasn’t sure what Jared was playing at yet. Especially considering the last time they talked outside of work, they were in a screaming match. But he followed him a little way away from the cart nonetheless. 

“What’s up?” 

“I figured you’d be here today.” Jared started.

“So are you following me?” 

Jared laughed. “No, no nothing like that.” 

“Then what is it?”

“It’s... well it’s about Y/n.” Jared ran a hand through his hair, pushing the long locks out of his face. He had a smile on his face, but Jensen could read the pain that hid behind it. 

“Jared…”

“No, just listen. I want you to know, I’m sorry. I fucked up, okay? I was selfish and stupid and I should have seen it sooner. I guess I couldn’t believe that you weren’t just using her to pass the time because it was easy.” Jared admitted. “And I hate myself for ever thinking that. I know you better than that. I think it was just my protective older brother coming out. You know she hasn’t had the best track record with guys, and I just couldn’t see past that for some reason.” Jared sighed. “You two, well, you guys are actually pretty perfect for each other, no matter how weird I may feel about that. And I’ll be honest, I do still feel weird. But I’m working on it.”

Jensen sighed, rubbing his hand across the full beard that adorned his face. “That’s great Jared, really I’m glad, but I think it’s a little late.” 

“Why do you say that?” 

“Y/n doesn’t want anything to do with me. I hurt her. I took back every promise I made to her. I don’t deserve her forgiveness anyway.” Jensen didn’t go into specifics, Jared would get the picture with what little he had offered. 

“Yeah, she is hurting. She’s hurting something fierce. I’ve honestly never seen her this way and it scares me. I overheard her tell Gen she is thinking of selling her business and moving to New York. Got some big offer from a huge beauty conglomerate. Didn’t even feel like she could tell me about it either.” Jared explained. Jensen’s head snapped up, his brows coming together on his forehead. 

“No, Y/n would never do that.” 

“That’s what I thought too. But she’s been offered some huge deal to sell her shares and be a VP for this new company. And she is seriously thinking of accepting it.” Jensen adjusted the ball cap on top of his head. 

“Why would she do that?” Jensen’s words came out in a sigh.

“Do you really have to ask that question?” Jared put a hand on his hip when Jensen scoffed at him. 

“Come on, you can’t put that on me.”

“I’m not blaming you, I swear. Y/n  _ is _ hurting though, and I don’t think that anyone else will be able to talk her out of it.” Jared said honestly. 

“So that’s why you’re really here, to beg me to convince your sister to not run away because of me.” Jensen rolled his tongue behind his teeth, biting back the urge to yell. That would never get him anywhere. 

“I meant what I said. I am sorry. But I also know that she won’t listen to me. She may however, listen to you.” Jared jumped to the defensive the second the angry words left Jensen’s mouth. “Look, I’m not saying you two should pick up things where you left them, not that I would care either way, but she loves you in a way that I have never seen before, and that has to count for something.” 

“It did, at one point. Now, I’m not so sure.” Jared frowned at his friend. In one way, he did need his help, but at the same time he understood his hesitancy. They didn’t have the greatest history where his sister was concerned. 

“Just let me get you two in the same room. Then we can let it happen naturally. What do you say?” What could Jensen say to that. As much as he was hesitant about tricking her into something, he didn’t want her to go. Danneel’s words had been haunting him since he had returned from LA. Jensen had been on the fence about whether he should take her advice and go after the woman he loved, and if he let her run off to New York, he may never get his chance. Y/n deserved to have all the facts before she made such a huge decision. She needed to know that he wouldn’t let her go without a fight. 

“Ok, Jare.”

****

Gen’s words were still ringing in her head as she carried her tired body up the stairs to her apartment. Having babysat the three littlest Padalecki’s for the night, she was more exhausted than she had been in a while. She had forgotten how wild they could get sometimes, and she just  _ had _ to be the fun aunt and cave when they begged for cookies. Three kids hopped up on sugar was, in hindsight, a bad idea. 

In the end, she was thankful for her time with family. Being able to spend real time with them had what Gen said to her affecting her more than she thought it would. She had all but made up her mind about going to New York, but the more she thought about it, the more the idea actually scared her. It was a big step to take, and she still had at least one more person to talk to before she called Mr. Baltussen back. 

The next morning, when she rolled out of bed, the sun was already high in the sky. She had slept far past her normal time, but for the first time in a while, she felt rested. Maybe it had to do with her plans for today. Or maybe she had truly needed to exhaust her body in order to get a truly restful sleep. Either way, she saw it as a bright sign. It was her reason to keep moving forward. 

Seeing as she slept in a little later than normal, she had to make quick work of showering and getting dressed before her appointment. Y/n plucked her favorite pair of converse from the stand near her front door and plopped down on her couch to put them on. As her weight settled in the middle of the couch she felt something bump her hip. She turned, her brow scrunched together on her forehead to find her laptop falling into her hip. 

“Seriously,” she huffed to herself. After all the time she spent looking yesterday, it had been on her couch all along. She could have sworn she checked the cushions, but apparently not as well as she thought. Y/n picked up the device and set it on the coffee table so she would be sure of where it was later, before bouncing out the door. 

Nothing had changed about the small office she once again found herself in. The walls were still the same soft shade of green she used love some time ago. They still held the same paintings and the plants that had once threatened to overtake the room were still alive and strong. Even the couch that she had hated sitting at was still full of accent pillows that tossed a splash of color into the otherwise neutral room. 

Y/n took a deep breath, allowing the essentials oils diffused into the space to ground her. It was like she had never left, and there was nothing she was more thankful for at this moment. When Gen had said she should talk to someone, she didn’t know Y/n had already scheduled this appointment. She had fallen so far from being a reasonably functioning human being. Just seeing Jensen and Danneel together and admitting out loud she wanted to sell her business, had sent her into a tailspin. Y/n had reached her breaking point, and she wasn’t hesitant to admit that she needed help. 

“Please, take a seat.” Dr. Hawkins stood up from her place behind her desk as Y/n entered, picking up her notepad and taking a seat in the armchair across from the couch. Y/n complied to her request, making herself comfortable on the soft furniture. 

“It’s been a while since we talked last. Where do you want to start?” Y/n bit her lip as she contemplated her choices. It truly had been a long time since she had been to see her therapist, and with everything that had happened in her life, she could build her way up or just jump right into things. “How about we start with work?” Dr. Hawkins suggested after a moment of silence. 

“Work is hectic. Things are really hitting off, not to mention I just spent the last few months juggling my business and working on set with my brother.” Y/n fidgeted in her seat, a movement that did not go unnoticed by Dr. Hawkins. 

“Yeah, and how did that go?” 

“Not at all how I expected.” Y/n was gnawing on her lip again. She wasn’t sure why she was hesitant to talk. After all, that was the whole reason she was here in the first place. Hell, she might as well just jump right into it. Y/n took a deep breath. “Long story short, I slept with Jared’s best friend slash co-star slash guy he considered his brother. All behind his back, for months.” 

“And why do you think you did that?” Y/n scoffed. She should have seen that question coming, she just expected more of a reaction. 

“Because I’m an idiot. Because the guy made me feel safe, and beautiful, and loved. I think I was lonely after clashing with my mother at Christmas about my dating life and also being stood up. He fed me every line I wanted to hear and for some reason I believed him.” 

“What makes you think he was lying to you?” 

“He told me he was all in. That he loved me and wanted to be with just me. He said it wasn’t just about the sex. But then Jared found out and things got bad. Jared punched him and wouldn’t talk to either of us. For weeks.” Tears were brimming in her eyes. Recounting everything was harder than she thought it was going to be. Admitting it out loud to another person broke her out of whatever bubble she had put herself into. It all sounded so ridiculous coming out of her mouth. “When things got tough he just bailed.”

“What exactly did he say to you?” Dr. Hawkins pushed.

“He said that we ‘all needed a break’.” Y/n made air quotes with her fingers. “His reasoning was that he wanted to give me my brother back and he knew I could live without without Jared.” 

“Was he wrong?” 

“You know me. Family is everything to me. He just failed to see that I can’t live without him either.” It was hard for her to admit that out loud. After all, she had promised herself that a man would not define her life. Yet here she was, a broken shell of a woman because Jensen left her. It was a constant battle inside her head, a seesaw bouncing back and forth against her skull. Most days it was just exhausting. 

“To me, it sounds like he didn’t lie to you. He may not have gone about things exactly like you wanted, but that doesn’t mean that he was ever insincere with you.” 

“What about me seeing him with his ex fiance all over the media? He told me he was over her, but they are out in L.A. together having dinner.” 

Dr. Hawkin’s lips curled up in a small smile. “Are they still friends?” 

“Not that I know of. I mean, she was at his birthday party a few months ago.” 

“So what is to say it wasn’t just two friends getting together? Who says it had to be romantic? Was there any indication they were intimate?”  _ Oh, she was good. _ Y/n scrunched her nose up, shaking her head. Of course her broken heart had soaked up what the media had fed her to fuel its own story on things. 

“You know, I understand now when people call therapists ‘common sense filters’.” Dr. Hawkins chuckled along with the messed up woman across from her. 

“So, let’s say that he truly did love you. Perhaps his leaving hurt him just as much as it hurt you. Maybe he needed a friend to talk to? Isn’t that why you are here, to talk to somebody?” 

“Yeah.”

“And did you patch things up with your brother?”

“We are working through things.” 

“It sounds to me that he made the right choice.” 

Y/n bit back the tears. “And me and him? Where does that leave us?”

“Do you forgive him?” Y/n nodded. Of course she forgave him. She would be lying if she said she didn’t. Somewhere deep down, even as pathetic as it sounds, she forgave him the minute her and Jared started talking again. “Then as cliché as it sounds, if it is meant to be, you’ll find your way back to each other.” 

“You’re right, that does sound cliché.” Both women laughed, the moment lifting from Y/n’s shoulders. 

“You know, it is okay to mourn your loss. Because that’s what this was. It was a loss, Y/n. All that matters is that you don’t let that grief run your life. And that’s something I tell all my mourning patients. You are a strong and smart woman. I know you’ll get through this.” Dr. Hawkins pushed away her notepad, her full attention on Y/n. 

“Yeah, I see that now.” Y/n smiled, allowing more of the weight on her shoulders to dissipate. Right now, she was kicking herself for not coming back sooner. But that’s what happens, life gets in the way sometimes. What matters now is that she found her way back. Her way back to Austin, to her family. And she would find her way back to happiness, even if it isn’t in the way she expects. More than that, she would find peace. 


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader finds herself dragged to a charity event by her big brother. What will she do when she finds out what he really has planned for her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. The final part. I am honestly amazed I even made it here. This story turned into a true monster from its original inception. I know I would have never made it here without all of your guys' love and support. Your feedback means the world, so keep it up. You never know who’s day you might make. I hope this is all you dreamed it would be if not, don’t blame me, I just typed this shit out ha. xo Alex

Jared had insisted that Y/n ride with him and Gen to the fundraiser he had begged that she go to in the first place. He knew her too well, after all. If Y/n didn’t want to go somewhere, she was exceptionally good at getting out of it. But their sharing of a ride to the event left her without a number of excuses. So she bit the bullet and just accepted her fate. After all it was for a good cause, and she was authorized to make a donation on behalf of Et Cetera. 

Y/n followed behind her brother and his wife into the event, the two of them practically skipping, their fingers entwined between them. The sight made her both smile and her stomach turn. 

Out Youth Austin had organized this little shindig at the country club that Jared frequented in town. It was the perfect sunny afternoon for a party. Y/n laughed to herself as she took in the image in front of her. It reminded her too much of the final scene from Step Brothers, well, minus the ocean in the background and the giant ice sculpture of a helicopter. 

The place was bustling, there was a live band playing some song she didn’t recognize, but they had a certain aura about them that was infectious. The charity had also decided on a fully catered Texas style barbeque, complete with lots of alcohol. Y/n mumbled a silent ‘thank you’ to whatever was listening as she spotted the bar. Silently she slipped away from her brother and towards the bar, looking for something cold and fruity to keep her sated. 

Jared noticed her absence almost instantly, taking the opportunity of her departure to initiate his plan. Well technically, her spotting the bar was step one of his plan, which she had fallen for hook line and sinker. Genevieve stood begrudgingly by his side, also in on said plan, no matter how much she truly hated it.  _ The things we do for love... _

“She’s going to kill you when she finds out, you know that?” Gen whispered to her husband as he was bent over the sign-in table. 

“I can handle myself. Besides, I’m sure she’ll thank me later.” 

“You have a lot of confidence in that. I hope you are right.” Gen mumbled. Jared made a face at his wife as if to say ‘trust me’. He knew full well how badly this could go, but he also understood how good it could all work out. Things were still tense between himself and his baby sister and at this point he could lose her either way. He at least had to try this. 

Once they had signed themselves and Y/n in, they went to find her with their seating assignment. She was reluctant to go too far from the bar, earning a sour look from Jared. Like a scolded child, she followed him to their table, a small frown on her face. 

Once she knew where she was to eat dinner, she left them again to network. Jared and Gen were quick though to follow her into the crowd. They stuck to her like glue the whole time, unwilling to let her out their sight. After all, she didn’t want to be here in the first place, making her a flight risk in Jared’s eyes. And he couldn’t exactly lose her if he wanted this to work. He also was there to steer her in the right direction. After all he couldn’t risk her seeing something she shouldn’t and ruining everything. 

Y/n, on the other hand, couldn’t understand her family’s odd behavior. Everytime she turned around, there were Jared and Gen. It didn’t matter where she went or who she was talking to, they were always a step behind her, making the young woman uneasy. Y/n chose to brush off their peculiar actions, chalking it up to Jared’s lack of trust in her. 

The dinner was served about an hour after the three of them had arrived at the venue. The food that was served was like nothing she had ever tasted before. It gave a true definition to southern style cooking. Y/n made a mental note to get the caterer’s information from whomever she could pry it from. 

Y/n quirked her head up as the music died down from the stage and the audience was applauding. A spritely woman, who Y/n deemed to only be a few years older than herself, bounced onto the stage, taking the mic from the lead singer, “Desert is about to be served, we hope you all enjoy it as it was made right here in Austin. We have about thirty minutes until the auction starts, so get your wallets out and ready.” The organizer rushed off the stage just as quick as she came to a hoopa from the crowd. Y/n turned back to her brother, her brow scrunched together on her forehead. 

“You didn’t say there would be an auction.” She noted, confusion written on her features. Gen suddenly became very interested in the ice cream now being placed in front of her as Y/n spoke. Y/n picked up on the way the woman averted her eyes, not daring to look up at her sister in law. 

“I didn’t? I could have sworn I did...” Jared’s voice was high as he played her comment off. 

Y/n hummed, annoyance now bubbling up in her chest. “No, you didn’t.” Her tone was firm with her resolution. “Jared, what are they auctioning off?” She had to ask the question even though, based on her family's sudden change in demeanor, she was afraid she didn’t truly want to know the answer. 

“Oh, you know, just the usual.” 

“Jared.” Y/n set her lips in a tight line as she glared at her brother. He was up to something, and she knew it was going to piss her off. 

“They are auctioning off dates with local eligible bachelorettes.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. A huff of air left her lips as the realization dawned on her. Y/n closed her eyes.

“Please tell me you didn’t…” 

“I did.”

“Jared! You signed me up to be auctioned off like some cattle to a strange old rich guy? I can’t believe you!” Y/n threw her napkin on the table and moved to leave. Jared grabbed her arm, an action that only sent more fire through her veins. She tugged her arm from his grasp. “Don’t.” 

“Y/n.” Jared’s voice was soft as he attempted to not draw more attention to themselves than had already been drawn. “It’s for a good cause. Please? Who knows, maybe this could be exactly what you need.” 

Y/n stared at him, incredulous. His words didn’t make any sense to her. Jared said ‘this could be exactly what she needed’? What does that even mean?

“You can’t back out now, they already have your name. Think about how that would look.” Jared raised his eyebrows at her and she could only clench her jaw. He was right, and that only pissed her off. He was smarter than she cared to admit. 

“I hate you for doing this to me.” Y/n growled as she sat back down in her seat. Jared smiled, the action quickly faltering when he realized she would not be smiling back at him. 

The sun was just beginning to fall towards the horizon as the auction started. Jared explained that Y/n was to stay in her seat until they introduced her, then she would head up on stage. The whole notion of selling dates with women churned at her gut, causing her to leave her desert untouched. 

As much as she hated the idea, she was in this now. There was no way she could go back without making herself and the charity look like fools, and she hated that Jared knew that too. The only saving grace that was helping her hold back the bile in her throat was that she knew it was all for charity. 

She did a quick check of her makeup as woman after woman was sold to the highest bidder. One more girl was sent off to her fate, when the announcer introduced Y/n as the next prize. She made her way to the stage, her head held high and a polite smile on her face. 

“Miss Padalecki is a seasoned and truly talented makeup artist. She studied at E.I. School of Professional Makeup in Hollywood and has worked on multiple television shows, including the one in which her dear older brother, Jared Padalecki, stars; Supernatural. This beautiful woman also owns her own makeup line headquartered right here in Austin; Et Cetera. Shall we start the bidding at one thousand dollars?” Multiple hands went up before she could get the words out, much to Y/n’s surprise. The number jumped to five thousand dollars before she even had a chance to blink. 

“Ten thousand.” A hand in the far corner went up and her eyes immediately snapped towards the voice. Y/n would recognize that voice anywhere and her suspicion was confirmed when she locked eyes with those familiar golden green orbs. Her breath caught in her throat as she finally understood what Jared had been talking about. He had set this all up, reasons for which she didn’t understand. Last she knew, the two of them hadn’t even been on talking terms. What had she missed?

A few more people out bid Jensen, and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved about that or not. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she should be relieved. But Jensen, the stubborn ass he was, wasn’t letting her go that easily, coming back with a counter offer of a good three grand over the last one. He was dead set on making sure he won this one. 

“Eighteen thousand.” Some guy called from a table in the front, but she didn’t even glance his way. The steady drumming in her chest began to pick up pace, threatening to burst from her chest as she waited with bated breath, her eyes never leaving Jensen. 

“Twenty five thousand.” Y/n scoffed, if he won this thing she was going to punch him for spending this kind of money on her, especially when he could have just called her. It was a stupid, ostentatious gesture, but that being said, she couldn’t deny the butterflies it had awoken in her gut. 

“Do I hear twenty six?” The auctioneer called out. It was quiet. “Going once,” Still silence. “Twice… Sold to paddle 853. Thank you so much for your generous donation.” Y/n let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. A hand found her elbow and began to guide the stunned woman off the stage. 

Her body was shaking as she fought her conflicting emotions. On one hand, she was relieved that she wasn’t stuck with an awkward night with a stranger, but on the hand, she was pissed at Jensen and her brother for setting her up. Jared met her stare across the tables and she glared before stomping off across the golf course to get her some space to think.

Her heels were just hitting the pavement of the far side of the parking lot when she heard someone calling her name behind her. She didn’t want to turn just yet to face the man she knew had chased after her, but she had nowhere else to go. 

“Y/n, wait!” Jensen tried again as the woman spun on her heel to face him, the confusion evident even behind the anger in her eyes. “Listen, I know you’re mad-”

“Damn right I’m mad! You two had no right to do this. If you wanted to talk to me, you could have just picked up the phone. Why go through all this?” She seethed.

“Would you have answered if I called?” He asked her, his head tilting even though he already knew the answer. 

“That’s not the point.” She mumbled. Though honestly, she couldn’t answer him as to whether or not she would have answered. Right now she wanted nothing more than to say no, just to pour salt in his wounds, but she couldn’t do that. 

“It’s exactly the point, Y/n/n.” Jensen’s voice dropped as he made his point. “If it helps, it was all Jared’s idea.” Jensen tried to ease the tension with a small smile and she hated how her body instinctively reacted to it with a smile of its own. She quickly composed her face as soon as she realized her slip. 

“I think that makes you feel better, not me.” She answered honestly. 

“You’re probably right.” Jensen let his shoulders fall as he looked at her. Y/n looked just as stunning as he remembered, if not more so. That fact only had his heart clenching in his chest, the evidence of his mistakes standing in front of him. As he admired her tanned skin where it showed dark in contrast against her yellow dress, the way her hair fell in waves framing all the high points in her face, and even the tension in her jaw as she fought herself to let him see her smile, all the reasons for his past choices seemed irrelevant. This woman standing in front of him had his whole heart. He understood that now. There was no one else that he would ever love more than her. 

“I know I may not be your favorite person right now, but I won’t take back what we did. All I’m asking is that you listen to what I have to say.” 

Y/n chewed on the inside of her lip as she eyed the man in front of her. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, his features pulled down as he pleaded with her. And no matter how much she wanted to tell him to fuck off, she couldn’t. All she could do was nod. 

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow, six o’clock?” Jensen offered.

“Six o’clock.” Y/n confirmed before turning away and leaving him at the edge of the parking lot. 

****

Y/n stared at her open closet, contemplating how she should dress for this. Honestly, she knew full well she was overthinking all of it. It didn’t matter what she wore, but she also knew that it was just her anxiety’s way of diverting from the real problems raging in her head. 

Eventually she just landed on a pair of jeans and a nice blouse. She paired it with her favorite sneakers. In the end, she decided she just wanted to be comfortable. 

Y/n was making sure she had what she needed in her purse when there was a soft knock on her door.

Taking a deep breath, she went to the light wooden door and pulled it open. Jensen had a soft smile on his face as he came into view. He was sporting a pair of dark wash jeans, paired with a soft looking tee. It seemed he went just as casual as she had, topping off his look with a pair of converse. 

“You look beautiful.” He noted as his eyes racked up her figure. Heat flooded her cheeks under his intense gaze.

Y/n cleared her throat, not wanting to dwell on his compliment. “Shall we go?” Jensen stepped back, signalling for her to exit. Y/n locked up behind herself and headed down the stairs outside her door that lead to the parking lot. 

Once they were pulling out of the lot, Y/n could feel his gaze on her from the driver's seat. It made her uncomfortable and hot all at the same time. “Mind paying attention to the road, you aren’t fake driving here.” She turned to him just as he snapped his head back to the road. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel weird.” 

“It’s okay. Truly this whole thing is weird.” Y/n admitted, her voice low. 

“I’m sorry.” Jensen repeated himself. Y/n rolled her eyes at that, it grated on her nerves more than it should have. 

“Jensen, you’ve got to stop saying ‘I’m sorry’. It won’t make a difference.” What she wanted to say was it wouldn’t make a difference because she had already forgiven him. What she wanted to say was he was wasting his breath. But she didn’t, just because she forgave him didn’t mean that everything was rainbows and butterflies. Jensen still owed her an explanation. And besides, it was fun to watch him squirm a little. Her comment had officially shut him up, for now. She could see where his jaw was clenched as he kept his eyes fixed directly ahead. It almost made her feel guilty… almost. 

Jensen pulled off towards McKinney Falls State Park, parking in a secluded spot under a tree. He hopped out of the car without a word. She watched him as he walked around the car and opened her door for her, offering her his hands as she stepped out. With a silent ‘thank you’ he let go of her hand and went to his trunk. Y/n couldn’t help her curiosity, only to have it satiated as he pulled out a small cooler and a rolled up blanket.

“A picnic?” It was hard for her to hide the upturn of her lips. 

“Yeah, last I remember you liked my cooking. And I thought you would feel more comfortable away from my place.” Y/n cast her eyes away from him. It was a sweet gesture, and she had to fight the tears stinging in her eyes. Sometimes she really hated how easily she cried. 

“Lead the way.” Jensen moved past her into the relatively empty park. The whole place was huge, leaving plenty of space for people to spread out. They were walking for she didn’t even know how long, when he finally picked a spot under a large oak tree near the water. Jensen tossed the blanket out for them to take a seat on and placed the cooler in the center. 

“Come on.” He urged her to follow his lead as he sprawled out on the blanket. The grown man looked hilarious as he tried to find a comfortable position. Y/n crossed her legs and sat up straight across from him, waiting intently for him to start unpacking whatever it was that he had. “I didn’t think this through.” He admitted as he continued to shuffle around. 

“Just lean back against the tree.” She gestured to him and took it upon herself to pull items from his cooler. She started with the two bottles of sweet tea, then a tupperware container filled with what looked like coleslaw, followed by two bags of chips and some sandwiches. Y/n handed off Jensen his share then grabbed the forks and moved to sit next to him, her back resting against the tree. She set the container of coleslaw between them and handed Jensen a fork before turning her attention to the sandwich. Y/n took a bite, her taste buds exploding with flavor with one bite. 

“Holy,” She mumbled around a mouthful of food. 

“Yeah?” Y/n nodded, she could never deny his cooking abilities, especially considering this was one of the best sandwiches she’s ever had. How the hell does he do that? “You should try the coleslaw, it’s grandma Ackles’ secret recipe.” 

Y/n covered her mouth as she swallowed her bite. “Okay.” she agreed. Jensen filled the fork with the dish and held it out for her to eat. Her mouth closed around the utensil, her lips pulling all of the tangy salad into her mouth. Jensen had to bite back his groan as he watched her movement, followed by her eyes rolling up in her head. After all this time, she still had that effect on him, and he knew she always would. 

“Good?” The tip of Jensen’s tongue was peaking out of the corner of his mouth as he waited.

“That’s amazing, like really amazing. What does she put in that?” Y/n hummed.

“Sorry, I promised her I would take her secret to the grave.” 

“Your grandma Ackles was a very mean woman.” Jensen laughed as a pout formed on Y/n’s features. He had to avert his attention elsewhere. Y/n could have gotten him to do anything she wanted with that pout. It was unfair, really. 

“She actually kind of was.” Jensen mused, remembering the strict yet loving woman. 

The two of them continued their picnic in relative silence. Everything Jensen had put together was beyond delicious. It amazed Y/n how he could make something so simple taste so delicious. But she never doubted the man, after all he was annoyingly good at everything. 

Once the food began to dry up, they both knew that they were just postponing the inevitable. For once, Y/n found the courage to just bite the bullet. “Well, you have me here. I’m listening.” 

“Okay...” Jensen sucked in a breath as he brushed the chip crumbs from his fingers. “Gotta be honest, I’m not exactly sure where to start. I’ve gone over what I would say in this moment since you left Vancouver, but nothing ever quite came out right.” His hands rubbed up and down his jean clad thighs, one of the other nervous habits that Y/n had quickly picked up on from him. He cast his glance down for a moment, before looking back at her. Her eyebrows were perked up on her forehead as she waited in silence. 

“Jared and I have talked. We’ve actually been talking for a couple weeks.”

“I’m glad.” And she was glad for the both of them. They were important to each other and they deserved to be in each other’s lives. As much as she hated how much their mistakes broke her relationship with her brother, she also hated what it did to Jensen and Jared’s relationship.

“He actually came to me and we hashed out our differences. I mean we aren’t where we used to be but I think with time we will get there. He told me you guys are talking again too.” 

“Yeah, well it’s debatable how long it will last this time.” Y/n grumbled. She was still pissed at him for lying to her and she felt like being dramatic about it for a while. 

“Y/n/n, we messed up,  _ I _ messed up. We went about this all the wrong way. But I don’t take back leaving you, because it did give you a chance to make up with your brother, and that’s all I ever wanted, your happiness.” Jensen admitted. 

Y/n pursed her lips, pushing down the fight building in her chest. “So why are we here then?” 

“Because you’re not happy Y/n.”

“And you know that how?” She pushed back. 

“Jared told me you are thinking about selling Et Cetera.” 

“So that means I’m unhappy?” 

“Yeah, it does. I know you better thank you want to believe. Selling the most cherished thing to you and moving across the country away from everyone and everything that you love is not like you. The woman I fell in love with fights for what she believes in, for what she wants. And I can’t let you go without telling you it’s a mistake.” 

“All of this is just you telling me what is best for me again. I don’t see how it’s any different than the last fight we had.”

“It’s different because you know it too. You’re running, and don’t try to lie to me. I know this is about me.”

“So what if it is? I reserve the right to make my own life decisions.”

“You’re absolutely right, you do. But I can’t let you do that without knowing all the facts. Y/n, I love you, and selfishly I don’t want you to go. Walking out that door in Vancouver left this emptiness in my chest that’s suffocating me. Everyday I wake up wondering how you are doing, and if you are okay. You’re the first person I wanted to call when my manager set up this big audition for me, and you were the first person I wanted to call when I didn’t get the part.” Jensen let out a huff, composing himself before continuing. “I just couldn’t let you go without knowing that.”

Y/n was at a loss for words, for the first time in a long time. That was quite the admission, and what was one to say to that? “What about Danneel?” It was the only thing she could come up with in the moment, her words startling even her. 

Jensen smiled. “I was hurting and needed a friend to talk to. I was looking for advice on how to get myself out of this funk. Danneel knows me just as good as anyone.”

“What did she tell you to do?” 

“She said that if I love you, and you love me then we would find our way back to each other, even if I had to go and get you.”

“So this is you just coming to get me then.” Y/m mused to herself, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “What if I don’t love you?” 

“Then I’ll walk away, and you can go to New York and be a big successful business woman that lives out all her dreams. But only if that’s what you truly want.” He paused and shifted himself towards her more. “Is that what you want?” 

Y/n swallowed, the motion getting stuck in her throat. “No, I want you. It’s always been you.”

“Then please don’t do this. Stay here and build your business big enough to scare that other company into bankruptcy.” Jensen pleaded with her. Y/n shook her head, chuckling. She knew it would come to this at some point. 

“Jay, I already turned them down. You are right, I couldn’t leave my family behind, and I couldn’t leave you.” 

“How long were you going to listen to me rant for?” His voice rose an octave, his thousand watt smile returning to his face.

“You were on a roll,” she shrugged. “Besides, you said all I had to do was listen.” Y/n failed miserably to hide the smile on her face. Jensen shoved at her shoulder, sending both of them into a fit of laughter. 

As he got back his senses, a warm smile spread across Jensen’s face. There was one last thing they needed to clear up. “Listen, I know we still have some things to work on, but I want to work on them. You and me. What do you say?” 

“You had me at ‘you look beautiful’.” Y/n licked her lips, an action not unnoticed by the man next to her. Jensen shook his head, fighting back his own smartass comment. “Seriously though, best idea I’ve heard all day.” 

Jensen chuckled as he leaned himself towards Y/n. “I’d really like to kiss you now, if that’s okay.” 

Y/n reached her hand out, cupping his jaw as she ran her thumb over the stubble on his face. “You are such a sap sometimes.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“And an idiot.” She finished with a roll of her eyes, all the while smiling like an idiot herself, before leaning into him and bringing his lips to her own. At that moment, it didn’t matter what had happened in the past. It didn’t even matter what was going to happen in the future. All that mattered was that he loved her and she loved him.  _ And all the rest _ , well, it would fall into place, one way or another. 


	26. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ackles invited the reader along to their family Christmas, making it the first time she meets the whole family. Everything is going well and then Jensen surprises her with an interesting present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is really it, the end of the line. I can't say thank you enough for all your lovely words and even more so for sticking with me through all these highs and lows. I couldn't have done it without your enthusiasm. I hope this is everything you wanted and more. xoxoxoxoxoxo Alex

The skyline of the city was coming into view over the horizon. The warm Texas sun bouncing off the skyscrapers of downtown Dallas. The drive from Austin had gone by quicker than she had anticipated. The scenic drive and conversation with Jensen was almost enough to quelch the anxiety in her belly. 

The Ackles had invited Jensen and her to their home for Christmas. His siblings and their kids would also be in attendance. After last year’s anomaly with her own family, trying to get them all together on the actual day did not happen this year. They had instead celebrated with the Padalecki’s a few days ago and so she had agreed to attend the Ackles’ holiday. 

Donna had been overjoyed when Jensen told her, her squeal so loud that Y/n heard it over the phone. Y/n was thrilled to meet Jensen’s family too, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t make her just as equally nervous. It wasn’t that she was just meeting his parents, everyone was going to be there. That put a lot of pressure on her because she wanted them to like her for her and she was afraid that the media out there will have given them a bad first impression. 

Not long after they had gotten back together, their relationship had been leaked to the media, and not everybody had something nice to say. 

~

_ New York, the big apple. It was a city that neither of them were strangers to. With the finale of Supernatural to air on television in the coming weeks, Jared and Jensen were on a mini press tour. That meant a few talk shows in New York.  _

_ Jensen had asked Y/n to tag along, making the weekend their first getaway together. She was happy to oblige, of course. It meant a mini vacation for her. Besides, she loved New York and would do anything to support her boyfriend.  _

_ Though, to be fair, she was a bit nervous about it all. People would know that the two stars would be in town, and that meant paparazzi photos. Especially if she chose to accompany them to the studios.  _

_ It wasn’t that she didn’t want to admit to people about her and Jensen’s relationship. No, it was more about her wariness of the aftermath of that little tidbit of information getting out. It was no secret that Y/n suffered from her share of anxiety and self doubt. And she also knew how fans treated her sister in law. Right now, she was safe, most fans either loved her or were indifferent. When they find out about her relationship, that would change in an instant. She could already hear the nasty comments and presumptions.  _

_ “What’s going on in your mind there?” Jensen’s soft voice broke her out of her thoughts, bringing her gaze back to the passing buildings out of the car’s window. Y/n turned her head to smile at him.  _

_ “Just thinking.” It wasn’t a lie.  _

_ “About?”  _

_ “I’m scared of stepping out of this car outside the studio.” She admitted to him. Jensen nodded, he didn’t need to ask to know what she had been thinking about. The woman hadn’t stopped thinking about it since he asked her to go with him on this little trip.  _

_ “We take it however you want to. I’m ready for people to know about us, but I get it if you’re not. Just know I’m here for you no matter what.” Jensen took her hand from her lap and held it between both of his. He kissed her knuckles, bringing back the soft smile to her face. “All that matters is that you know that I love you, and that I know you love me. Everything else is just noise.”  _

_ “I know, and I shouldn’t feel like this, but I’ve seen the way your fans can rip a woman to shreds.”  _

_ “Then I’ll just have to be there to pick up the pieces.” He shrugged. Y/n shook her head at his cheesy comment, her lips tight in a smile on her face. She opened her mouth to reply when the car came to a stop.  _

_ As suspected, the entrance to the studio was littered with fans and cameras. Jensen squeezed her hand before opening the door and sliding out. Y/n followed after him across the bench seat, taking his hand and allowing him to help her step down out of the car.  _

_ Cameras flashed the instant her brother and boyfriend hit the pavement. Y/n was thankful for the sunglasses on her face at that moment. It was chaos on the street, fans screaming and the media calling for their attention all swirling together to create noise.  _

_ Jared and Jensen had already begun their walk towards the back doors led by a gaggle of security. Y/n followed close behind, watching them interact with fans. They signed autographs and took photos, keeping the bright smiles on their faces the whole time, especially considering the way they were being urged forward by the producers.  _

_ As they neared the building, Jensen turned back to make sure she was still behind them. He raised his brow at her, a silent question for her. Ah hell, she thought to herself, it was now or never. Y/n reached out her hand to him, which he took without hesitation, a little smirk on his face as he did so. Jensen linked their fingers and pulled her along with him into the darkness of the building as the noise around them grew in decibel.  _

~

The media was relentless. It worked fast enough for the host of the talk show to ask the question. Jensen’s publicist didn’t even have a chance to stop it all. The question had puled the air from her lungs, but when Jensen met her eyes on the side of the stage, she had to shrug. He was the professional and she trusted him. After that, it was all out in the open and there was no going back. 

Granted, all of the feedback was bad, and sure most of the negative things came from sleazy tabloids, but it was only gas for the fire that people needed. She was too young for him, she was a gold digger, she was using him to sell her makeup, and the worst was them comparing her to Danneel. So, how could she blame his family for thinking the same exact things when they didn’t even know her? 

She was going to have to work hard to gain their trust. 

“Hey, I can hear the wheels turning over there.” Jensen glanced at her as he took the exit off the freeway. They had about ten minutes left until they were at his parents' place for the long weekend. 

“Yeah, well you know me. Professional over thinker.” She pointed a finger at herself and offered him a warm smile. He returned the sentiment, offering her his hand over the middle console. She entwined her fingers with his and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

“I promise, whatever fears you have running around up there have no foundation. My family can’t wait to meet you.” Y/n sighed knowing fully well he would say that. “Babe, they are gonna love you because I love you, and that’s all they care about.” 

“Well, good luck convincing the nagging bitch in my head. She’s persistent.” 

“Y/n/n,” Jensen started but she cut him off. 

“I’ll be fine once we are in the house. I promise, just… I just have to meet them.” She squeezed his hand back and Jensen relaxed into his seat. 

“Well I hope you’re ready, because we are here.” He announced as he pulled into a long driveway. The house that appeared as they drew closer was a decent size. It wasn’t ostentatious like a lot of homes in Texas, but it was still impressive. The Ackles had a sizable land around it, even complete with a pond half hidden in the trees. Y/n let out a low whistle as Jensen parked the car behind a few others in the driveway. He chuckled at her reaction as he released her hand and climbed out of the car. Jensen pulled their luggage from the trunk as she grabbed the cooler from the back seat. 

A shriek emanating from the porch had her jumping out of her skin as she rounded the car. A blonde young woman came running from the porch as her and Jensen turned their heads towards the sound. Y/n recognized her as Jensen’s sister, Mackenzie just as she was being engulfed in a bone crushing hug. 

“I’m so excited to finally meet you!” Mackenzie gushed. After the momentary shock, Y/n hugged her back, relief washing over her. “Jensen has told us all about you. Practically never shuts up really, I don’t think I can ask him what’s new in his life without it turning into something about you.” 

“Alright, Kenzie.” Jensen grumbled. Y/n could see the tips of his ears turning pink as her and Mackenzie giggled. 

“Well thank you. I’m excited to meet you guys too.” Mackenzie stepped out of her hold and moved to hug her brother. Jensen gave her a kiss to her temple as he released her. 

“Well, come on inside. The kids are with mom baking cookies and she is dying to meet you.” Y/n glanced back at Jensen who nodded to her. He held out his hand to take the cooler from her. Mackenzie led her inside the house, not giving her enough time to truly take in the grand foyer or the stairs that led to the second story. They instead made a beeline for the kitchen that sat in the back of the house. 

“Look who’s here.” Mackenzie cooed as they entered the huge room. The island in the middle sat all six of Jensen’s nieces and nephews and still had plenty of room left over. 

Donna looked up from the cookie she was frosting, her eyes going wide when she saw Y/n. “Oh!” She exclaimed and hurriedly dropped the cookie in front of one of the kids. The older woman wiped her messy hands on the apron in front of her before pulling it off. 

“Hi Mrs. Ackles.” Y/n beemd as the woman stepped around the counter to her. 

“Oh please that’s my mother in law, call me Donna, sweetheart.” She waved her off and hugged her tight. She stepped back, keeping one arm on Y/n’s shoulder as she looked her up and down. “Alan and I are so glad you could join us. I hope you feel at home here.” Donna squeezed her shoulder before continuing. “Now where is that son of mine?” 

“Right here mom.” Jensen’s voice came from around the corner, his smiling face appearing a second later. Donna hugged her son as well, pulling away swiftly but not before slapping the back of his head. “Ow! What was that for?”

“For not telling me how truly beautiful Y/n is.” It was Y/n’s turn to blush as the two of them looked to her. 

“I did tell you that.” Jensen defended, his eyes never leaving Y/n. 

“Yeah, well you did a piss poor job of it. And those photos you sent me don’t do her justice.” Donna now had her hands on her hips as she scowled at her son, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“Well, I know that, but it was the best I could do until now.” Jensen went over to her and caressed her cheek. “Now would you please let us freshen up and unpack before dinner?” 

“I can take a hint. I’ll wait until later to pull out the baby pictures.” Donna put her hands up in surrender. “Dinner is at seven.” 

Jensen took Y/n by the hand and dragged her to a small staircase just off the kitchen. He went straight for the door at the top of the landing, pulling her inside and shutting the door behind them. Their luggage was already in the room, undoubtedly brought up by him and his brother. 

“Feel better now?” He asked as he hoisted their larger bag onto the bed and began to unzip it. Y/n went over to where he was and perched herself on the edge of the bed next to him. 

“I think so. I did tell you I just had to get inside the house. I didn’t get a chance to meet your dad though.” 

“He was out getting wood for the fireplace. You’ll see everyone at dinner.” She watched him as he unpacked their things and put it into the dresser and closet. She let her eyes wander around the room, taking in the dark cherry furniture and the navy blue walls. 

“Sounds good.” She hummed to herself as she got sight of some trophies on the shelves to her right. Making her way over there, she noticed some of the photos of Jensen when he was most likely in high school. It was all very nineties. 

Jensen came up behind her then, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. She placed one hand over his own. “I was pretty athletic back then.” 

“Hmm, I don’t know, I think you’re still pretty athletic.” Y/n turned her head to his with a smirk on her face. She stifled a shriek when he spun her around and picked her up off her feet to deposit her on the bed with a bounce. Jensen kneeled one leg between her own so he could climb up and hover over her, one hand on either side of her head. 

“Is that so?” Y/n nodded and bit her lip before Jensen leaned in and kissed her. Her hands went to his hips, her fingers curling in the hem of his t-shirt and bunching it up around his waist. She let out a soft moan as she opened her mouth to him and just allowed herself to feel him. To feel his weight on top of her and his heat skin underneath her finger tips. 

A soft knock came from the door before it was being opened. “Oh,” Jensen extended his arms and looked up to see his dad peeking inside his room. “Uh, your mother sent me to tell you that dinner is ready. But I’ll just tell her you guys will be a few minutes.” Alan cleared his throat as he pointed behind himself. 

“No, dad come on, we’re coming now.” Jensen grimaced and stood back on his one foot still on the ground. He held out his hand and helped her up as well. She could not even look at either of them, completely mortified at being caught making out like teenagers. How many times would the two of them need to be caught like that before they learned to lock a goddamn door?

“I’m Alan by the way. You must be Y/n.” He offered her his hand and she shook it.

“Oh, unfortunately.” She breathed out, wanting to be anywhere but in that house at the moment. 

“Oh don’t sweat it. We have no illusions to the life that my son leads. Y’all are adults and-” 

“Dad, no!” Jensen cut him off as Y/n could feel the heat rising in her cheeks even more than it already was. 

“What? You two are consenting adults-” Alan defended himself.

“Oh my god, dad. I’m begging you to stop talking.” Jensen pushed his father’s shoulder so he would be the first one down the stairs. This was going to be a long weekend.

****

Dinner went better than she had anticipated. Jensen introduced her to the rest of his family and since they followed right after Alan, he didn’t have a chance to out their extracurricular activities upstairs. She got to know more about each of them and got a sense for their personalities. Her anxiety over meeting them was now a distant memory, as she knew it would be. Now, she felt like she was one of the family. When the last bit was cleaned off his plate, Jensen had leaned back in his chair, his arm thrown over the back of Y/n’s. He rubbed his hand up and down her shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear. 

“I’m beat, are you ready for bed?” Y/n nodded enthusiastically as she was tired as well. Jensen kissed her temple and cleared his throat.

“Well, mom and dad thank you for dinner, it was delicious as always.” He stood up from his seat and went to kiss his mother’s cheek. “We are gonna hit the hay. I’m beat from the drive.” Y/n stood along with him. 

“Yes, thank you for the wonderful meal. Good night.” She acknowledged his sentiment and quickly followed after Jensen. The two of them undressed in a satisfied silence, their bellies full from Donna’s feast. Jensen helped her turn down the bed and the two of them climbed under the fluffy comforter. Y/n rolled on her side, one hand under her cheek as she gazed at the man next to her. 

“This is weird, sleeping in your childhood bed.” A large smile was on her face as she teased him. “I don’t even want to know what has gone down in this thing.” 

“You’re incorrigible, you know that?” He deflected her comment easily. 

“Eh, that’s why you love me.” 

****

One of the many benefits of sleeping next to Jensen was the pure heat he radiated. It was a turn off to some, but on a cool winter night in Texas, it was everything she wanted. 

Their movement in the night now found herself curled into Jensen, her back flush against his solid chest. But that wasn’t what had woken her up, no, that would be his wandering hand finding its way up her tee to cup her breast. Y/n tried her best to ignore him, but as his soft fingers tugged her hardening nipple, even she couldn’t fight the gentle moan that escaped her lips. 

His soft chuckle came in a warm breath over the back of her neck before his lips were pressed into the soft flesh of her shoulder. “Jay,” she warned.

“Mmm.” His only response was a soft hum as he trailed his lips up her neck and to her favorite spot just below her ear. He sucked against the skin there, gentle as to not leave a mark. 

“We can’t, not in your parents house. And not after last night,” Y/n craned her neck to look at him, his features just barely visible in the light of dawn. 

“Come on baby, I need you,” Jensen pulled her body tighter against his own, making her feel his excitement against her back. 

“We can’t stink like sex at breakfast.”

“So we’ll take a shower after.” Jensen brought his lips down to hers, sucking her tongue into his mouth, “And I’ll fuck you in there too, make you come on my cock twice all before breakfast. How does that sound, baby?” His voice dropped as he whispered his dirty promise to her. The deep tenor of it sent chills through her body. Jensen ran his hand down her torso and worked his way into her already soaked panties. 

He groaned in approval as he worked his fingers through her folds, alternating between her clit and her opening. 

Y/n turned her body as she instinctively opened up to him, allowing him more access between her legs. “Love this pussy of yours, so responsive to just a little dirty talk.” 

“Fu-” Y/n had to bite her tongue as he slipped two fingers into her without warning. Her hand flew to grab his wrist in some feeble attempt to ground herself. Her hips moved against his hand of their own accord as heat radiated from every nerve ending in her body, focusing in the pit of her stomach. 

“That’s a good girl, get yourself off on my fingers,” Jensen continued his praises, his lips soft against the underside of her jaw. She wasn’t sure where his deep breaths ended and her own began. All she could focus on was the knot forming deep in her belly. 

Jensen shifted himself to get more leverage and he pressed his palm tight against her clit, “Oh god,” she breathed, the words barely audible to her own ears.

“You’re right there baby, let go for me.” The crack in Jensen’s voice sent one last shiver through her as her climax hit, gentle in its waves as it washed over her, “Shit.” 

Y/n stayed leaned against his hold, focusing on bringing down her heart rate. Jensen removed his fingers from her panties and brought them up to her mouth. She obliged immediately, wrapping her mouth around his fingers and sucking her own flavor from him. Teasing him, she ran her tongue around his digits, earning a growl from the man behind her. 

“Jesus, get these things off, ” he pulled his fingers from her mouth and pushed down her panties. Y/n helped him get them down her legs and kicked the material away under the heavy blanket. He pulled away from her for a moment to free himself from his boxers, his hand coming back to her knee. He pushed her leg forward and up before lining himself up at her entrance. Jensen pushed in slowly, making her feel every inch of him. Y/n dropped her head into the pillow, a strangled breath finding its way out of her throat. 

“That’s my girl.” His praises were swallowed down as he kissed her again, the angle making it difficult as he began to thrust up into her. Their lips met rushed and wet as their moans mixed together. The bed creaked slightly under his ministrations, the only other sound in the dark room the vulgar squelch of him deep inside her. 

Y/n couldn’t form a coherent thought especially when his hand found its way back to her breast, kneading the flesh and pinching her nipples, “Please,” She wasn’t sure what she was asking for. For more? For him to stop? 

Jensen found his way back to her neck, latching on this time with the intent on making sure she was marked up. Y/n yelped when he nipped where her neck met her collar bone before soothing over the reddened flesh with his tongue, “You like that don’t you? Want everyone at the table later to know you’re mine, to know I fucked you deep until you came on my cock all while they slept peacefully in their beds.”

“Jay, fuck yes,” she nodded her head against the pillow, his words hitting every spot in her body. Her encouragement was all he needed as he sucked another mark below her ear. 

“I’m gonna fill you up so deep you’ll be leaking my cum all day. You want that, baby?” he purred, his breath hot against her already sweaty skin. Her head bobbed back and forth when she couldn’t find the words. 

Jensen’s thrust began picking up speed as he lost his rhythm, his ending nearing. He could tell she was close behind him from the way her body was tensing and her pussy fluttering around his cock. 

“I’m so close,” she whined as everything began to blur together. 

“I know, come for me Y/n/n.” His words hit her like a magic button, her orgasm washing over her body instantly. Jensen shoved his face into her hair to muffle his grunt as she milked his own end from him, his seed coating her walls. Their chests rose and fell rapidly in sync with each other. His hand came up to push away the few sweaty tendrils of hair that stuck to her forehead. Y/n sighed as he placed soft kisses along her shoulder, the tender man she fell in love with returning. 

“I definitely need a shower after that,” she mused, the gentle smile on her face fading as he pulled his softening member from her. 

“Mmm, I’ll join you. We can save some hot water for the rest of the house.” A small chuckled reverberated in his chest as Y/n swatted at him. 

“Yeah right, you go in there with me and there will be no hot water left for anybody.” Y/n pulled herself from his grasp and climbed from the bed.

“A risk I’m willing to take.” Jensen smacked her ass as she skipped away. Y/n turned to scowl at him over her shoulder, the action prompting a mischievous glint in his eye to appear. He was leaping off the bed before she could react, chasing her into the bathroom with a squeal. 

What little fight she gave Jensen, he was able to overcome, pushing his way into the shower with her. He had her coming twice more under the heated rain coming down around them, Jensen’s hand muffling her scream as he fucked her from behind. 

Y/n struggled in the mirror to cover the mark he had left on her neck. She didn’t have the proper makeup on hand to cover them. Sighing with defeat, she dropped her tools onto the bathroom counter, thankful to have packed her favorite wool knit turtleneck sweater. It was an emergency sweater, and right now, she would say this qualifies. 

She had left Jensen to finish in the shower, skipping her way down the steps and towards the smell of freshly cooked bacon. The majority of Jensen’s family was already packed into the kitchen and adjoining dining room when she entered. 

Donna looked up from her task of flipping pancakes when she noticed the young woman coming through the arch. “Morning, dear.” She smiled bright, the corners of her mouth twitching the same little crows feet in the corner of her eyes like her son. 

“Morning. This smells amazing, Donna.” Y/n beamed, taking in the family style breakfast that was set out on the island. 

“Help yourself. Juice and milk are in the fridge.” Y/n nodded her understanding, swift to undertake the task of filling her plate. She was grabbing a glass for some orange juice when Jensen came striding in, his hair still damp from the shower and looking more cuddly than a grown man should look in his dark jeans and sweater. 

“Did you guys plan that?” Mackenzie came back from the dining room, indicating the scary similarities between Y/n and Jensen’s sweaters.

“I didn’t even know he owned a shirt that looked like that.” Y/n chuckled to herself. It was just like them, to unknowingly match their outfits for the day. 

“Well, that’s just disgustingly cute isn’t it?” Mackenzie faked gagged, earning a glare from her brother and mother alike. Y/n just continued to giggle. It was cute after all. 

~

After breakfast was over, Y/n helped Donna to clean up the kitchen, a task which she was well used to. She had a decent sized family of her own, so she understood what it was like to pick up after them. 

The less fun part came once they were finished, moving to immediately pick up their preparations for dinner. Y/n had brought ingredients to make her famous mushroom soup, requested specially by her boyfriend. Not that he had yet to try it, but Jared couldn’t stop raving and thus Jensen, couldn’t stop nagging. 

The women of the house moved fluidly around each other, dancing in between each other while keeping out of the way. It was seamless and like they had been doing it already for years. The guys would be in every once in a while, mostly to grab the kids and run, keeping them out of the busy women’s hair. 

Y/n was busy cutting into mushrooms, her tongue peeking out of her mouth in concentration, when Jensen slipped into the kitchen for the first time. He positioned himself behind her, his hands snaking around her waist to hold her to his chest. Jensen placed a soft kiss to her temple before gazing over her shoulder. 

“What are you up to?” He questioned.

“What do you think?” She laughed, knowing what he really meant, but never being able to pass up teasing him. Jensen groaned at her words, dropping his forehead into her shoulder. 

“Babe,”

“What?” She feigned innocence. 

Jensen took a deep breath. “Is there anything I can help you with?” He tried a different tactic this time, dropping his voice, the action barely noticeable. A shiver ran through her body, eliciting sparks across her nerves endings. She will never understand how he can do that to her with such little effort. 

“Well,” She drew out the word, taking in the way his arms flexed around her midsection. Y/n dropped her voice as she flicked her eyes around the kitchen, making sure his family wasn’t within ear shot. “Not in here.” 

Jensen mouthed out a small ‘fuck’ and she had to suppress her giggle. This man could be insatiable sometimes, outgoing her on some days. Not that she was complaining at all. 

Pulling her chin up, Jensen forced her to look at him, the amber and jade in his eyes swimming with something more just below the surface. It was the look, the look that still had her heart stuttering in her chest after all this time. It was the look that told her everything she ever needed to know about his feelings for hert. It said ‘I love you’. 

Jensen pulled her lips up to him, capturing her in a heated but haste kiss. The action did not go unnoticed by his family, who had since looked up from their own respective tasks. Heat flooded her cheeks at their knowing grins, though they held no animosity, for which she was grateful. 

With a soft smack to her bottom, he was out of the kitchen without a backwards glance, leaving his mother and sister now in full on laughter. 

“I’m gonna kill him.” She grumbled even though a smile still adorned her face. 

~

Once they had all filled their tummies to satisfaction, it was on to the Ackles family tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve, leaving just the presents from Santa for the morning. It was their way of drawing out the festivities, and Y/n was enjoying the change of pace. 

Jensen stuffed himself into one of the oversized chairs, grabbing her waist and pulling her into his lap when she tried to pass him to sit on the couch. They sat there in contentment, watching the delighted faces of the children and even the adults. They had done a small family raffle, and Y/n had already opened hers, the sweater and scarf set sitting on the floor near her, when Jensen urged her off his lap. She complied, sitting back down in his vacated seat when he went off to the large tree in the corner of the room.

Y/n watched as he plucked an envelope from inside the branches of the tree, only to return to her. He handed over the white piece of paper, her name scrawled in his familiar script on the front. Y/n looked at him confused for a moment, as they had already exchanged gifts before they had come here. 

Jensen had gifted her with some of the most gorgeous earrings and necklace she had ever seen. The diamonds set in them were simple and understated, much like herself. It was a perfect gift. She herself had gotten Jensen another watch to add to his already impressive collection. The man was like a child when he opened the item, acting as if he had never seen a watch before. It was then that she thought maybe they should have a watch intervention for the goofball.

“What is this?” She cocked her head at him as he sat himself on the ottoman, their knees touching. Jensen put his hands on her thighs, gently rubbing into her denim clad knees. 

“Just open it.” He shook his head, having fully expected the push back from his stubborn girlfriend. Y/n tsked, but went to open the envelope. It was light in her hand, and she pulled out a postcard for The Chedi in Andermatt Switzerland. She flipped the item over in her hand, once again finding Jensen’s familiar script on the back. ‘Pack your bags’ was written haphazardly, followed by a small hand drawn heart. 

Y/n flipped her gaze back on to him, her jaw going slack. “What is this?” 

Jensen chuckled, his amusement with her never ending. “I booked us a trip. You always said how much you wanted to go skiing in the Swiss Alps, so here’s your chance. We leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What about your family?” 

“They know, I’ve already okayed it with them that we leave early.” Y/n looked up from his gaze, catching the adults in the room watching them intently. It set her a little on edge, the small smiles that each one of their faces held. “So what do you say?” 

Y/n turned her attention back on Jensen, his expression hopeful. “How could I ever say no to that face?” She mused. Jensen let out a breath of air in his relief. Around them, soft laughter could be heard from his family, and she had to shake her head at their antics. She was having some major flashbacks to earlier in the year, when Jared and Jensen had schemed just to get her to talk to Jensen. Y/n had never exactly been one for surprises, especially when everyone but her was in on it. Though this time, she had to admit that this was one she could enjoy. 

~

The flight overseas was a long one, not that she was surprised. Her loving boyfriend had booked them first class, a luxury she hadn’t divulged in since the new year. The young woman had to admit, it did make the trip that much more bearable. 

Snow was falling when they landed in Switzerland, mixed with the late hour, made it hard for her to make out any details in the countryside. It wasn’t until their car pulled up at the resort that she finally got a good look at the snow capped mountains. It was one of the most breathtaking sights she had ever seen. The resort itself sat in the middle of the valley, leaving most of the area around it untouched by civilization. The snow was blanketing everything, making the place almost eerily silent. 

Her mouth fell open in a soft ‘o’ as her and Jensen stepped foot into the hotel. In an instant she felt out of place. It seemed Jensen had spared no expense when he booked this trip. This place was easily the fanciest place she had ever stepped foot in. Sometimes she did truly forget that her boyfriend had money, and that he liked to spend it on her. 

Jensen slipped an arm around her waist as they checked in, a bellhop taking their bags and loading it onto a luggage cart. She gazed around, taking in the lavish decor and warm fireplace warming the lobby. 

The lobby had nothing on the suite that they were booked in. A fireplace took up the center of the room, separating a small seating area from a king sized bed. The walls to the bathroom split into different panels, exposing the large standalone bath and huge double vanity. 

“Jesus,” She plopped down onto the bed as Jensen tipped the bellhop. “First twenty five grand and now this. You’ve got to stop spending money on me like this.” 

Jensen turns to her, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Honey, you are more than worth it.” He stalks over to where she’s perched on the edge of the bed, looking down as she looks up. “I don’t know how many times I can tell you how much I love you or how much you deserve to be spoiled.”

Heat flooded her face as she batted her eyelashes up at him. “Maybe try to say it some more.” She teased him, her tongue peeking out between her lips

“I love you.” He pecked her lips. “You are beautiful.” Another kiss. “I want to spoil you rotten. Oh, and did I mention I love you?” Jensen placed one last kiss on her lips, just long enough for her to grab his jacket and pull him down onto the bed with her. 

~

The next week the pair spent at the resort was like a dream come true to Y/n. They skied, took out snowmobiles, went ice skating, took a couples dance class, and even had a whole romantic couples day inside the spa set up by Jensen. It had been a while since she had been truly relaxed like she was now. The woman had been working herself non stop since getting her business off the ground. It made her truly appreciate the man she chose to have by her side in this moment. He made her stop and appreciate the moment, and even more so, appreciate him. 

The resort hosted a small soiree for New Year’s Eve. It was a mock casino night, dinner included and even a show. Y/n quite enjoyed the dueling pianos, having never seen something quite like it. Jensen enjoyed the food more than anything, telling her over and over again and eating himself nearly sick. 

The couple dipped out of the event early. Y/n had yet to have the chance to enjoy the hot tub that sat overlooking the mountainside. It was snowing again as well, making for the perfect weather to sit outside in a steaming tub. The young woman dragged her boyfriend behind her after they had changed into their bathing suits, rushing them both to the poolhouse. As expected, the place was empty, seeing as nearly every guest was at the event in the grand hall. 

“Aha.” She exclaimed aloud to the room in her excitement. Jensen just chuckled behind her, enjoying the innocence his lover now seemed to hold. She shrugged her cover off as he pulled off his tee and emptied his pockets. Jensen was quick to run past her and into the water, disappearing behind the curtain that divided the inside portion of the tub from the outside. “Your ass is mine, Ackles!” 

His chuckle could be heard from the distance as she chased after him. The hot water splashing around her as she trotted through it. Y/n tackled her lover from behind, linking her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. 

“Woman!” Jensen grasped at the clinging woman, a full bellied laugh erupting from his chest as he worked to reposition her against his chest. Her wet body slid like butter around him, just enough so that Jensen almost lost his grip on her, sending the two of them under the surface of the water. Jensen pulled her into him as their heads broke above the surface, the pair of them laughing like children. 

Y/n linked her fingers behind his head as she shook the water from her face. Her eyes blinked open slow, only to be greeted by the gemstones that were trapped in Jensen’s own iris’. There was a gentle smile on his lips, showing off the dimples that she loved so much. “What?” 

“God you know, I’ve never told you this story before, but that night in Vancouver, when Jared declared you off limits,” Jensen chuckled softly and shook his head. Y/n cocked her head as his grip around her waist tightened ever so much. “You were so sad, and me being the idiot I was, didn’t realize what I was actually doing at the time. Now though, I understand that I was just trying to get you to laugh one more time. It had been so long since I had seen that laugh and I missed it. I missed that brightness behind your eyes and the way you throw your head back.” Jensen squeezed her again, his own smile growing as he shook his head. “It’s that laugh that I first fell in love with. It was the joy you radiate to those around you without even trying.” 

“Okay sappy, what’s gotten into you?” Jensen licked his lips, his smile faltering only the smallest bit before returning to its normal radiance. 

“You. You’ve gotten to me.” Jensen leaned in and nuzzled his nose against hers. Y/n let her eyes flutter closed again as she got lost in the man surrounding her. His lips ghosted over hers, peppering her in feather light kisses. “I love you so much, Y/n Padalecki.” 

“I love you too, Jensen Ackles.” 

“Yeah?” Jensen kissed her again. And again. Y/n chuckled as his lips left her own to move across the expanse of her face. 

“Yeah, you idiot.” 

“Marry me?” Y/n’s eyes shot open, her body freezing against his own. 

“What?” The word was clipped and short as it came out of her mouth. It felt as though her heart had frozen in her chest as well, the whole thing constricting in on her and trapping her breath in her lungs. 

“Marry me, Y/n.” Jensen ran a hand down over her partially frozen locks from the winter air. “God, I love you so much, it physically hurts me sometimes. Being apart from you for those two months made me realize how much I can’t stand it. I wanna spend the rest of my life waking up to that beautiful smile of yours. What do you say?” 

“Are you still a little drunk from dinner?” Her brow creased in the middle of her forehead as she fought down the butterflies in her stomach. 

“Y/n/n-” 

“Yes.” Y/n cut off his groan at her teasing.  _ So, maybe now wasn’t the best time for that. _ “Of course I’ll marry you.” She trailed her hands down his jaw, cupping it in the palm of her hands and running her thumbs across his beard. Jensen broke out in a wide toothy grin, one that Y/n couldn’t help but return. In his elation, he swooped in and kissed her. He kissed her with everything he had, pouring out to her everything he couldn’t express in words. Because words couldn’t express that inflation in his chest, or the way even when they were in a crowded room he always found himself watching her. Watching her smile and laugh, watching her interact with those around her. In no time at all, Y/n had become his light in the darkness and the only one he could picture himself next to when all his dreams came true. He wanted to wake up next to her everyday for the rest of his life and he wanted her to be the mother of his children. 

Pulling away, Y/n pecked one last kiss on his nose. “There is just one thing though,” she paused, her nose wrinkling in thought. 

“Don’t worry, I already asked Jared and your father.” She scoffed, fully unbelieving he knew what she was gonna say. Though considering their history, Jensen would have been smart enough to cover all his bases so as to not land them into the same boat they once found themself in. 

“Jesus, how did you know what I was going to ask?” 

Jensen chuckled lowly, “Because I know you, and I know how your mind works. Also, it was the first thing I did when I decided to officially ask you. Well, after buying the ring.” 

“Buying the ring?” 

“Designing a ring actually. It’s one of a kind, just like my girl.” Jensen kissed her lips only for her to pull away, her nose scrunched in mock disgust. 

“Ew, that was super corny.” 

“Would you stop, I’m trying to be romantic here.” Jensen pushed out his lips in a full pout. Y/n thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen from him. 

“And I love you for that, baby I do, but come on you know I had to.” A low groan rumbled in his throat as he dropped his head into her neck, eliciting more giggles from the woman. 

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” He mumbled into her neck. The woman shrugged. 

“As long as it’s me, I’m okay with that.” Y/n admitted with a chuckle. Jensen pecked her lips once more before moving the two still molded together back into the building. He paused by the stairs and set her back on her feet before pulling her out of the water and towards their clothes. 

Jensen wrapped a towel around her body, rubbing circles into her shoulders as she shivered slightly. The young woman watched as he tossed his tee aside and grabbed a small bag she hadn’t seen him pull from his pockets earlier. Her heart rate picked up as he opened the bag and pulled out a small black velvet box. 

“Jay,” 

“Shh, let me say this.” Jensen knelt down on one knee in front of her, his body still dripping in water, goose bumps forming across his chest from the contrast of the warm water and the cool winter air coming in from outside. “Y/n Padalecki, I love you more than I ever knew was possible. You bring light to my day, frustrate the hell out of me, and make me laugh when I don’t think I ever can again. There is no other woman I’d rather have by my side, or make the mother of my children. Will you marry me?” His fingers fumbled as he opened the velvet box, revealing the bespoke engagement ring. 

Y/n bit her lip as she took in the ring. It was more than anything she could have ever dreamed of. The inset jewel was just her ideal size, haloed by more smaller jewels that led down the band. He had done a more than excellent job. 

“Y/n/n,” Jensen had a crease in his brow as he waited for her answer. 

“Oh, yes. God, yes.” Y/n leaned forward and cradled his jaw stubbled in her hands, crashing her lips to his. This time, tears were streaming down her face, though she couldn’t understand why. Jensen had already asked and she had already said yes. Maybe it was the image of him on one knee, or maybe it was the ring he was now slipping effortlessly onto his finger. 

Jensen stood, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet. Her face was nuzzled into his neck as the pair just held each other. Y/n fought back the happy sob building in her chest. After everything that the pair of them had been through together, somewhere deep inside she knew that they were heading down this path. Frankly, since Jensen’s birthday, there was no one else she could ever have pictured herself with other than Jensen. She had known how hard she had fallen, but if someone had asked her this past New Year’s if in a year this is where she would have been, wrapped up in Jensen’s arms in Switzerland after agreeing to marry him, she would have committed them to a mental health facility. 

Outside the resort, fireworks were exploding in the night sky, lighting up the snow capped mountains in an array of colors. The sound of faint cheers could be heard coming from afar as well, but in this moment all the two of them cared about was the other and the promise they were now on the path to making to one another. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. You may not recognize the title to this work, as I have changed it after much contemplation. Previously known as Et Cetera, I found that the new title works better for the vibe of this story.  
The sequel, Happiness Continues, can be found [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26126956)


End file.
